Tax credits, is this true?

FBaby

The reality, some people do incredibly well under benefits and some struggle. Take two single mums of 4 children. the first has four healthy children. She was married and her husband and her agreed that she would stay at home to look after them. He then leaves her and pays no maintenance, and because he is self-employed, the csa can't do anything. She has no family close by to help. The second has 4 children from 3 different dads and get maintenance from all of them. Three of her children have some learning difficulties and she gets DLA for all of them. Herself has been diagnosed with obssessive compulsive disorder and anxiety and gets DLA too. The two will get the same amount of CB, tax credits and IS, HB etc..., but in addition the second will most likely get £1000 if no more per month than the other single mum. They certainly will have a very different experience of life on benefits....

Cornish_piskie

janninew wrote: »

I must say I'm astonished at the turn this thread has taken! Why couldn't the OP's perfectly reasonable first question just get answered, then that would be it? If you read the first few replies she had (not helpful or in keeping with what this forum is about) this thread would never have gotten to this point!

The OP was looking for a debate/arguement. She sort of asked a question (one she could have just as easily found an answer to on Google and I'm pretty certain she already knew the answer anyway) and then an opinion of what she thought about the benefits system because it appeared that she might receive no tax credits where she would have, say, twelve months ago if she had a child earlier.


She could have worded her OP:

Hi - I'm hoping to start a family soon. Does anybody know what the planned income threshold is for tax credits claimants please?


Doubt that would have led to any debate

meds12_2

Cornish_piskie wrote: »

So sorry I didn't join in your debate at the correct time :rotfl:

I'm glad you see the carer situation a little clearer with the help of kingfisher - walk a mile in their shoes and all that.

Perhaps if you could see other situations with a little less tainted view then you might, just might, change more of your opinions. Even more so should you ever be in need of this welfare state you so dislike.

Anyway, I wish you well. Don't forget to choose your private healthcare, education and that insurance policy(!) wisely - after all, you wouldn't want to avail yourself of the benefits of the wefare state now - would you?

Seriously, I am with you on some points - I can't bear fraudulent claimants and those who just can't be bothered to work. However, the stereotypes you came up with (single mothers of multiple children, lazy flat screen watching layabouts) are more few and far between than you imagine them to be. 'Mainstream' recipients of the welfare state are me, your neighbour, your family, your friends and you. Best keep that in mind.

Take care and goodnight.

Doesn't it depend what "type" of claimant you have met in your day-to-day life though? I have met lots of people over the years on benefits - a lot have been what I would class as "genuine" - to cover short term "in between jobs" scenarios or severe mental / ill health problems, many of those would benefit from more support, and are certainly not rolling in it, or living a life that I would ever wish to lead.

Yet I have also met, and known for almost a decade, a significant number of people who just put off trying for a job because they are not forced to, and some of those DO have multiple children with different Dads, big TV's yet no books in the house, spend a significant proportion of their money on fags and booze, always out and always having their nails done. They always seem to have a plan to start another course, but it never materialises. Maybe this is a minority, but just from my own experience (and I have lived in many, many places - over 35 homes since I left home when I was 16 - and this covers the SE to the NE) it is a significant one. Maybe the OP has just had the same experiences as me?