Pregnant with 1st baby. Do we get anything? what about the £190 grant?

DeeMarie89

melly1980 wrote: »

I havent told you this, whyvare you quoting me?



I havent said this either



Im beginning to think that your mistakening me for someone else



aint said this either.

Since you seem confused about the points I make versus something I am not making I will spell it out for you.

Tax credits = good, agree with them in principle but not the level of taper.

Bad side of it - If you take a family with 4 kids then the tax credits system gives them the same amount of income as a 40K salary family. This is disgracefull.

ugh, I was responding to several posts. Quoted yours as it was the one I responded to first. Perhaps use common sense to work out that o was not just answering your post?

DeeMarie89

fawd1 wrote: »

Actually, every person has the means to go to university, whether it be from grants, loans, or parental support. If you were on your own financially from the age of 16 then you probably would have been given nothing but grants. Assuming then that you're not in your 60's (where the grants loans system was completely different i.e. virtually nonexistant) then you having spent your life working was a choice, in the same way that the person who carried on studying and not earning any money for at least another five years made a choice to do that. And no one is saying that people on a low income should be punished, maybe people are saying that if you've worked hard enough for a high income, you should actually feel the rewards of it? as it stands, we may as well tell all our kids that it's ok not bother trying too hard as in the end everyone will get a similar sort of salary.

You seem to have overlooked the A-Levels I would have had to do to get into university, and the last time I checked (and believe me, I check regularly) you can't get a student loan for that, and as the course I would be doing (as it's the course I understand best) would require at least one year of full time college, although I would prefer to re-do my first year again to improve my results)

Blue22

gauly wrote: »

Just for interest I did the maths on this, but I've cheated a bit and used an income of £43k because that is the point next year where you will lose Child Benefit so the income on £43k is less than on £40k.

Income on £43k with 4 children (from next april):
After tax/NI £31,459
Benefits: £0
Total income £31,459

Income on 2x£7k with 4 children:
After tax/NI £14,000
Working tax credit: £760
Child tax credit: £11,495
Child benefit: £3,146
Council tax benefit: ??
Housing benefit: ??
Total income £29,401+

Hope these values are right - I got them from an online calculator. It
really is weirdly close even before you add in housing and council tax benefit if they are.

But in fairness, even though the first family only have an extra £40 a week, they also have the satisfaction of knowing that they are contributing £11.5k per year to the welfare of the other family. Doesn't that make you feel good Melly?

shop-to-drop

gauly wrote: »

Just for interest I did the maths on this, but I've cheated a bit and used an income of £43k because that is the point next year where you will lose Child Benefit so the income on £43k is less than on £40k.

Income on £43k with 4 children (from next april):
After tax/NI £31,459
Benefits: £0
Total income £31,459

Income on 2x£7k with 4 children:
After tax/NI £14,000
Working tax credit: £760
Child tax credit: £11,495
Child benefit: £3,146
Council tax benefit: ??
Housing benefit: ??
Total income £29,401+

Hope these values are right - I got them from an online calculator. It really is weirdly close even before you add in housing and council tax benefit if they are.

Also the 4 kids from the first family will have to pay £27,000 for their University tuition plus all of their living expenses.

The low income kids will only have to pay £9,000 and will get a grant for living expenses.

michelle1506

Many thanks! Quite agree!!

meluvnext wrote: »

This is a really immature attitude! I used to work as a nursery nurse before having my child, full day care costs for a child under 5 was £18-£20, this was 8+ years ago I am sure that was before tax credits were introduced, now your looking at £35 minimum full day care costs, because providers charge the top amount knowing they can get the money through tax credits.

So should the government crack down on providers charging these amounts we wont need tax credits to help out and then maybe the money that is being given to use via tax credits can make employers pay us a decent enough wage.

AnxiousMum

Under current systems as well -if the first couple have a child in A levels, that child is also benefiting from EMA money - though, granted, that will stop for some, but not the 'very low' earners which I think the above example might be?

Child going to university? They will also receive maintenance grants equivalent of a further £3K free money, topped up with bursary of £1-3K depending on which university the child goes to - over the course of 3 years - not a bad salary top up, which 'high earners' children do not get, and need to be supported by parents if not working through uni.

Also add on free prescriptions, eye tests, dental care - we need to pay for all these ourself.

Free school transportation? Another thing available to low income families. Recent initiatives - free computers, internet for a year.

In reality though - in the above situation - is the example REALLY a low income family? No, they are not - it's just that one family is earning their keep, the other being kept in order that they 'have a comparable lifestyle' to the high earning family.

I have also done a scenario based on myself and my partner - his earnings circa £32K pa, mine £16K pa.
If we were to split, I would have an additional £500 per month in my pocket (over our joint income as is current situation) due to benefits being made available to me, my son would benefit from uni grants/bursaries, plus, I'd in effect be a further £500 per month better off due to partner having to pay child support. also, there would be no spending money needed by him out of the increased income, my costs would go down in terms of food, clothing, electricity.

Why oh why should it be a financial gain on anybody's part to become a single parent? No wonder this countries welfare system is such a bloody mess. Break over, back to work now which allows us a 'high income' each month lol

AnxiousMum

shop-to-drop wrote: »

Also the 4 kids from the first family will have to pay £27,000 for their University tuition plus all of their living expenses.

The low income kids will only have to pay £9,000 and will get a grant for living expenses.

True - but......why on earth would the 'low income' family be sending their children to university - several have said that they didn't have that opportunity having come from a disadvantaged background.......and yes, my tongue is in cheek.

michelle1506

Yes, I do agree with you there. I wouldn't even enquire while earning 57k! That's much higher than the average yearly take home pay! I don't think that while earning that much there should be ANY entitlement to state help, especially with only ONE child!!

but the poster has the audacity to ask what can she get with a family income of over £50 grand by way of Tax Credits!!![/QUOTE]

meds12_2

gauly wrote: »

Just for interest I did the maths on this, but I've cheated a bit and used an income of £43k because that is the point next year where you will lose Child Benefit so the income on £43k is less than on £40k.

Income on £43k with 4 children (from next april):
After tax/NI £31,459
Benefits: £0
Total income £31,459

Income on 2x£7k with 4 children:
After tax/NI £14,000
Working tax credit: £760
Child tax credit: £11,495
Child benefit: £3,146
Council tax benefit: ??
Housing benefit: ??
Total income £29,401+

Hope these values are right - I got them from an online calculator. It really is weirdly close even before you add in housing and council tax benefit if they are.

You surely wouldn't get any council tax or housing benefit on that income? Aren't tax credits taken into account when working out things like that? How about school lunches? What on earth are tax credits supposed to pay for if it isn't your basic bills?

AnxiousMum

DeeMarie89 wrote: »

You seem to have overlooked the A-Levels I would have had to do to get into university, and the last time I checked (and believe me, I check regularly) you can't get a student loan for that, and as the course I would be doing (as it's the course I understand best) would require at least one year of full time college, although I would prefer to re-do my first year again to improve my results)

See, maybe though, THAT is just what is different between some high/low earners.

Both my eldest boys wanted to go to university - to do that they require A levels. They didn't qualify for EMA (which, if on a low income you would, or the Adult Learning Grant depending on your age), but both of my boys held down part time jobo -s as well throughout A levels - though, as a parent, it was still my responsibility to house, feed them etc. as they were still my dependents. however, if they wanted latest gadgets etc., then they had to work for that - they did, and saved their money for uni. So maybe instead of coming up with reasons why you cannot do what you want to do, find a way of doing what you want to do. We can all sit around and moan that we aren't able to do such and such, but in reality - i'd bet you can. Just change the mindset.