MSE News: 'Don't make kids pay the price of rising energy costs'

C_Mababejive

Tell the kids to put some clothes on. I am not about to pay extra in my energy bills to keep bone idle baby breeders warm whilst i'm out at work. When i was a kid,the only heating we had was a coal fire. I would dip my toe out of bed on a Winters morn,onto the ice cold Lino...marvel at the wonderful frost patterns on the inside of my bedroom window,and quickly scurry into the living room and make up the coal fire.

Lazy gits these days dont know what cold or poverty is..

Pincher

People who can't afford children and sensibly refrain from having any have to pay towards other people's children, and then get told they are heartless when they complain.

Is that logic? Or is it just blinkered baby kissing politics?

You should let people with children go on holiday while you stay at work, because your holiday plans are less important. Whose wishful thinking is that?

Like I said, 7 billion, when David Attenborough said 1 billion is sustainable.

In good times, there's more to spend on these would like to haves,
but children is not compulsory, and times are hard. Free pills and condoms, that's all I'll fork out for.

Joyful

You will notice I mentioned young adults in extreme weather conditions such as the coldest in 100 years. If someone is only getting Between £55 and £67 punds a week and from this to need to pay for the cost of livimg, the increase in consumption last year meant many suffered. Often many are in substandard housing. I am glad to say the Warm Home discount can help some in this situation now.

In relation to Children- when you have a call like last week when someone had 10 children so were receiving £500 a week Child tax credit, plus child benefit and paying no bills for rent etc this is where I made my point about income. Of course this is not the norm but I have had many calls when the household income is over £30000 because of the number of children in the house.

My family and friends have children too plus there income may be less than those on benefits but they still have to pay the cost of fuel. Any help they get is Income assessed such as Working tax credit so why should there be any difference?

bylromarha

I remember doing homework in my bedroom and having numb fingers from the cold.

I remember having frost on the inside of my windows and watching the black patch of damp in the corner of my bedroom get bigger over the years.

I remember going to bed as a kid wearing 2 jumpers, 3 pairs of socks and clinging the hot water bottle.

I remember having a bath once a week up to age 14.

I remember the days when a radiator in every room was a luxury.

I'm only mid 30s...there must be far more of us about who grew up in freezing houses.

ermine

Don't make kids pay the price of rising energy costs

Uh? While the price of energy has risen significantly over the last three years it's still cheaper as a proportion of average incomes than it was in the 1980s, nevermind the years before. Plus houses are insulated better now.

All of which begs the question why is it that families now can't manage where previous generations did?

Paul_Herring

ermine wrote: »

All of which begs the question why is it that families now can't manage where previous generations did?

The expectation that the state (prodded by state funded fake-'charities') will subsidise their lifestyle.

Paulgonnabedebtfree

21Twinkle wrote: »

Yet again - it is "save the kids" - what I want to hear is "save the childless couples"
Parents already get way too much financial help to bring up their children - ie) Child Tax Credits.
So why single Children out for even more financial assistance ?
It is every adults right to choose whether they have children or not - and if they cannot afford to look after them properly - they should not produce them
Save the childless couples - who benefit society much more than parents of children - saving the country a small fortune in not claiming such as prescriptions and extra time off work....
I say offer "Childless Tax Credits" as a reward to those who choose not to burden society with children
And as for offering social tarriffs to families - simple question - why ?
Surely - homes with children are warmer than homes without - due to the extra body heat produced by running about ?

I do take your point and as a working single man who is well into middle age, I do sometimes feel that I am being used as a cash cow. However, I am also aware that although I subsidise some people in society, I also have received subsidies - though in a more subtle way - the most notable being medical treatment some years ago that would probably have cost c.£20k if bought privately. Indeed, without that subsidy (and receiving NHS treatment twice for meningitis much earlier in my life), I probably wouldn't be here to post this. I am fit and well, but I do accept the need for a certain amount of cross subsidising in order to give a semblance of a fair(ish) society.
Has the cross subsidising gone too far? Possibly, but I can see a case for increasing it too.

iscamaid

I resent some of the comments, what a cruel and self centred lot of people. I have two children and do not take home benefits, I work and take in a lodger and my husband has two jobs and we economise greatly. Between us we just about manage and do not have benefits other than the non-means tested child benefit,which helps keep our heads above water. However I feel grateful for what we have and have signed this petition willingly as I know that ther are people out there who struggle more than us. The petition was not just about an extra payment but providing advice about insulation and getting the best fuel deals. Some people here may not have read it properly. for all the nasty people who have suggested boiling down my children (nice!) I hope you remember then when you are retired and they are working and paying taxes to support society and yourselves.

Paul_Herring

iscamaid wrote: »

I have two children and do not take home benefits,

What? Not even child benefit?

[...] and do not have benefits other than the non-means tested child benefit,

Ah. I see.

Cardew

On a thread about gas and electricity, there really shouldn’t be squabbles about people having children, or the inequalities of Social Services support.

Given it is self-evident that some families need financial support, the issue in this thread is should that support come from the Taxpayer or other gas/electricity customers paying slightly higher prices.