My sister is so worried about tax credits in April '12

smk77

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Really? If your friend is not going to have children because he wanted to receive welfare for his children and has now found out he can't, it doesn't sound like he would have brought his children up to be achievers. Successful people don't base their future life choices on how much welfare they can claim.

How dare you pass judgement like that. Truly shocking!! I'm talking about someone with a degree, a masters and is a successful engineer in his field. Someone who has worked very very hard! To suggest that he wouldn't have brought his children up to be achievers is a terrible thing to say - in fact, he's the type who would push his kids too much! Also, I did not say he wasn't going to have child.

I have a reasonably high earning and educated friend who doesn't know if he is going to have kids because of the cost. The loss in tax credits he would have got plus the loss in child benefit make it more likely that he won't.

So, if for example, there was a 90% chance he was going to there may now be an 80% chance.

He's earning between £40-50k (not in London) and still young. That's quite successful! Most certainly not someone who is making choices (direct ones at least!) based on what he can or can't claim!!!

You've completely missed the point. It wasn't a case that he was going to have kids and now he isn't. Read what I wrote. My point was that the removal of the tax credit and child benefit has made made him think even more carefully about the affordability.

First time home buyers are getting older and older because of the financial strains that previous generations didn't have. The baby boomers who had it so lucky. And you grudge a mere £10 a week to people how have worked hard and saved hard for a mortgage?

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Both of my children earn too much to claim welfare and they (and I) am very proud of their hard work. Their partners have the same drive as they do.

You really think this county needs more welfare claimants???

What we need is for people to keep their own families so that the taxes raised can then be used to pay off the massive debts this country has. The welfare bill is out of hand and needs to be cut.

Maybe you want to direct a a response at my comment about how parent contribute to the economy in more ways that one. Perhaps if you are that concerned about the massive debts you could contribute a bit more yourself in cash terms?

I Agree the welfare bill is out of hands. Stopping the benefit scroungers who have no intention of doing anything other than having kids for cash should in theory reduce the burden on the state allowing those who do work to have a bit of a tax break. i.e. my friend would then be able to pay for his own kids rather than others though his higher rate tax!

daviecol wrote: »

Do you know something, 20 years ago when my wife and I decided to have our first baby I didn't even know there was such a thing as child benefit, and there wasn't child tax credits then either.

We had children because we wanted a family, not to top up our income!

Interesting because I remember going with my mum to the post office once a week to pick up family allowance (child benefit) when I was 5. With both parent being teachers I very much doubt that it was because they were benefit scroungers wanting to "top up their income". I'm surprised you weren't aware of child benefit. Maybe you should have taken more interest in the budget each year?

Correct, no tax credits. Married couples allowance. Given you had kids when I was 15 and therefore you will be older than I am I'm very much surprised you came out with that!

smk77

tescobabe69 wrote: »

Certainly, "I am responsible for bringing up the generation you are paying for," innit.

If they got the letter then they're earning above £26k. Therefore, there is a chance that they're paying more into the system than the average person. I'm not sure that you can make such a claim

Now, what surprises me is that someone can write like that and earn that much!

smk77

Murgatroyd21 wrote: »

Claiming entitlement is sponging? Working for an employer who pays less than the government calculates is necessary to maintain a basic standard is sponging? Speak to Vodafone, Goldman-Sachs, Phillip Green and co then come back here with this nonsense.

Ignore them. There is a section of society who are so full of their own self importance.

They've done reasonably well. They may have been successful, but it's usually because they're from the baby boomer generation who have benefited from others in a different way.

They own 2nd homes but often not by hard work even though they think that's the case.

Their first home was bought in the 70s when a house cost a couple of grand. Then, their parents passed away leaving a few hundred grand for a second home.

They now seem to think that they're hard done by and have to pay for all parents to have more kids. If someone else is Scottish, Welsh or Irish then they're paying for them to have a lots of free stuff at their expense too!

Blackpool_Saver

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I personally find it quite unbelievable that people on £30k a year get Government money to bring up their family.

But your point and mine are both discussions for another forum......

I mean if they have a few children and have to pay for nursery fees etc

gillianread

i am 30, i'm not writing a letter it's just a forum , what does my writing have to do with the sending a letter saying its stopping as we get more than 26000, but u go online and its 32200, and we get 31000 so it wont be stopping. they need to word their letter better

krisskross

Charityworker wrote: »

If I was on an income of £30,000 a year I wouldn't be so worried. Truth is me and my husband are on a COMBINED income of £5058 per year. Getting tax credits was a way for me to be better off working, come off jsa and be better off in work. Now I will be better off back on jsa. The government seem to be taking money from people already struggling.

Do you not receive any LHA/HB plus council tax benefit, no free school meals etc?

£5K might be what you get in your hand for JSA alone. You need to add in everything else you get which is why you find yourselves better off not working.

How can the government be taking money off you when they probably provide most of it in the first place?

gillianread

ok i will write it again, can you understand it
well i was posting to say they should word their letter's better because they are sending them out saying we are losing our £10 a week, but we're not as the rates are higher if you have more kids its £32200 and we get £31000 so it won't be stopping for us as we have phoned them up. this 3rd baby was a surprise for us as i had an abortion on 2nd march 2011 because my last baby had edwards T18, its like downs T21 but a lot worse, they don't live and then i got pregnant again in april, 2011 in the same week as the funeral happened . i didn't get pregnant to get an extra £10 a week tax credits and £10 CB , my husband could get more doing overtime.

smk77

gillianread wrote: »

ok i will write it again, can you understand it
well i was posting to say they should word their letter's better because they are sending them out saying we are losing our £10 a week, but we're not as the rates are higher if you have more kids its £32200 and we get £31000 so it won't be stopping for us as we have phoned them up. this 3rd baby was a surprise for us as i had an abortion on 2nd march 2011 because my last baby had edwards T18, its like downs T21 but a lot worse, they don't live and then i got pregnant again in april, 2011 in the same week as the funeral happened . i didn't get pregnant to get an extra £10 a week tax credits and £10 CB , my husband could get more doing overtime.

They should word them better but I wouldn't be surprised if they have deliberately done this so that people don't think that they're entitled and therefore don't act.

I didn't realise that there was a higher level for 2 kids until a couple of weeks ago. I also thought it was £25k and not £26k.

Something else I read (and can't quote it because it was a few weeks ago) said that in some cases the income threshold won't apply. There were no examples. Not sure if it's those who get the disability element of CTC. If I understand it correctly, someone has a child with DLA and is entitled to CTC also gets a disability element of £2,800 a year on top of their £10 a week so about £3,340 a year. That's a lot to lose if they are now above the threshold!

monkeyme24

Iam asking on behalf of a friend , there 201/2012 income is approx £26,000 and the 2012 estimated amount will be in the region of £30,000 , they have weekly childcare of £100 per week are they going to be entitles to any help as of april ? does anyone know , she works 25 hrs and her husband 39 hrs per week ?
THanks guys

MissMoneypenny

smk77 wrote: »

How dare you pass judgement like that. Truly shocking!! I'm talking about someone with a degree, a masters and is a successful engineer in his field.

Yet you say that "the removal of the tax credit and child benefit has made made him think even more carefully about the affordability". Speaks volumes.