child tax credit cheats

elliewild

I dont know much about benefits myself as ive never been entitled to them, but today i was furious that my boss was complaining that his child tax credits were going to be stopped soon (govt. initiative). I wouldnt mind, but he earns about 50k a year as head of faculty at my school. I really didn't think that wealthy people were allowed to claim this???? has the world gone mad?

I'm all for child tax credits for people who are less fortunate - but surely this is madness? it makes me mad that everyones taxes go up to help the recovery - and yet weve been paying rich people money for their kids!

zagfles

elliewild wrote: »

I dont know much about benefits myself as ive never been entitled to them, but today i was furious that my boss was complaining that his child tax credits were going to be stopped soon (govt. initiative). I wouldnt mind, but he earns about 50k a year as head of faculty at my school. I really didn't think that wealthy people were allowed to claim this???? has the world gone mad?

I'm all for child tax credits for people who are less fortunate - but surely this is madness? it makes me mad that everyones taxes go up to help the recovery - and yet weve been paying rich people money for their kids!

It might seem daft that benefits are paid to people on incomes well above average, but the reason is that the UK, unlike most countries, has a system of independant taxation where people are assessed for tax as individuals and not families.

In most countries a family would be taxed as a family on their combined incomed, so eg a family of 4 with one earner on £40k would pay a similar level of tax to a group of 4 friends on £10k each sharing the house next door. Here the family pays far more tax, so they get benefits, which usually come nowhere near to making up for the extra tax they have to pay.

AnxiousMum

If it makes you feel any better, he's likely only getting the family element of a whopping £10.40 per week......but.....it'll be people like him who are the ones paying back their student loans - unlike some who never intend to pay them back

gratefulforhelp_2

He isn't a cheat, he is claiming benefits to which the law says he is entitled, which I would support anyone's right to do.

Oldernotwiser

£50,000 is a decent income but it's hardly "rich".

POPPYOSCAR

Hope your boss isn't reading this he might take exception to being called a cheat for claiming something he is entitled to by law.

POPPYOSCAR

Just read your post again. What do you mean 'weve been paying rich people for their kids' what about the tax he has been paying - a great deal more than you I expect- if anything he has been paying himself!

AnxiousMum

and actually......if you say he's 'head of faculty' at your 'school', then I take it you mean he's head of department, and not likely on £50K per year.....maybe high 30's low 40's.

welshmoneylover

elliewild wrote: »

I dont know much about benefits myself as ive never been entitled to them, but today i was furious that my boss was complaining that his child tax credits were going to be stopped soon (govt. initiative). I wouldnt mind, but he earns about 50k a year as head of faculty at my school. I really didn't think that wealthy people were allowed to claim this???? has the world gone mad?

I'm all for child tax credits for people who are less fortunate - but surely this is madness? it makes me mad that everyones taxes go up to help the recovery - and yet weve been paying rich people money for their kids!

Perhaps he could say the same thing about his income tax being used to pay for lazy layabouts who do nothing but produce kid after kid just to maximise their benefit entitlement.

Good for him, nice to hear about decent honest hardworking people.