on my own on a low wage

A_fiend_for_life

jen666 wrote: »

my only point is...why is this available to people over 25....not anyone younger??????

The government is pretty good at coming up with arbitrary cut off points; minimum wage being another in my view. It would be far better if a more realistic minimum wage was provided rather than people having to fill in forms for top up wages. Personally I think people would feel more in control of their lives and have a more positive outlook. I think the only benefit to all the top up benefits available serve to provide jobs for civil servants and to let them slip by folk who are not aware of what else they can claim.

moocat

jen666 wrote: »

It seems that maybe if I went out, Got myself pregnant a few times, then I would get a house paid for, half my bills paid for and still get child benefit. If the government want to stop young single parents, the best thing to do would be to give young single people starting their career, a bit of help, rather than letting us that are working and paying tax, pay for those who delibratley get themselves pregnant just to get all these benefits.

WELL SAID!!

Titch89

GlasweJen wrote: »

Jen666, I'm in an almost identical situation to you except that I'm disabled and physically unable to work more than about 30 hours a week without ending up in hospital. I'd rather have my health than the tax credits that I get due to disability.

if you're disabled, you can claim tax credits from the age of 16, providing you work at least 16 hours per week.

calleyw

jen666 wrote: »

my only point is...why is this available to people over 25....not anyone younger??????

The reason being that a lot of under 25 year olds still live at home with there parents so have very low outgoings.

Are students who are expected to have a low wage or are on training scheme again so are expected to have a low wage until they are qualified.

I have caring duties and have had to drop hours but because I am paid more than min wage and less than 30 hours a week I don't get nothing. I have a disabled husband who most likely will never work again. So have very small scope to be able to earn extra money. Where as a young, fit and healthy person can get more than one job to pay the bills.

Yours


Calley

bestpud

somabc wrote: »

Well I don't know how to say this, but the government could not give a !!!! about young people. They generally don't have any money and they don't vote which seem to be the two main requirements for getting the governments attention. :mad:

Exactly the same applies to many sectors of society so why is it only the young you feel are penalised for having no money and not voting?

Oldernotwiser

If they weren't allowed to vote you might have a point but as they (very stupidly) don't choose to then it's irrelevant.

somabc

bestpud wrote: »

Exactly the same applies to many sectors of society so why is it only the young you feel are penalised for having no money and not voting?

And where did I say it was ONLY the young who are penalised for "having no money and not voting" this applies to many sections of society obviously. The fact remains there are two ways to get this governments attention - to give them money, or be in a group in a marginal seat. As young people do neither of these things laws are not passed in their interest.

bestpud

somabc wrote: »

And where did I say it was ONLY the young who are penalised for "having no money and not voting" this applies to many sections of society obviously. The fact remains there are two ways to get this governments attention - to give them money, or be in a group in a marginal seat. As young people do neither of these things laws are not passed in their interest.

This thread is about tax credits for the under 25s - is it not? It was asked why the cut off limit is 25 and you replied by saying that it is because young people are fleeced by this govt, because they have no money and don't vote.

If voting and having momey are the only ways to grab the govts attention, then tax credits would not be paid to anyone, as they are for people on a low income. And funnily enough, the very groups tax credits most help, are among the least likely to vote! :rolleyes:

somabc

bestpud wrote: »

This thread is about tax credits for the under 25s - is it not? It was asked why the cut off limit is 25 and you replied by saying that it is because young people are fleeced by this govt, because they have no money and don't vote.

If voting and having momey are the only ways to grab the govts attention, then tax credits would not be paid to anyone, as they are for people on a low income. And funnily enough, the very groups tax credits most help, are among the least likely to vote! :rolleyes:

Tax Credits are a fig leaf paid to make the government look good. It enables them to have high taxes which people have to then claw back. It also makes the government appear to be helping families and the older (25+) poor, which the middle classes always like to think is happening as it makes society appear "fairer".

They could do that much more effectively if they raised your tax free allowance to £12,000 (or even £15,000) making savings through decreasing the complexity of the the tax system and eliminating the need to make people jump through hoops each year to estimate how much they will earn, and whether they have been paid too much or too little back in tax credits. It would also mean people would not have to remember to try figure out which benefits they are entitled too. Around 2 million of those entitled do not claim Working Tax Credit or its companion Child Tax Credit, despite there being around 7 million people in the UK entitled to do so.

bestpud

somabc wrote: »

Tax Credits are a fig leaf paid to make the government look good. It enables them to have high taxes which people have to then claw back. It also makes the government appear to be helping families and the older (25+) poor,

Wholeheartedly agree, especially when added to the bit below about taxes!


which the middle classes always like to think is happening as it makes society appear "fairer".

This bit however, I am not so sure about. Why have you made this point - is it because govts want to appease the middle classes, as they tend to be 'the voters'? Because, if so, they are the group who most feel penalised by the tax credit system, and while we are at it, education benefits. You don't need to look far on these boards to get an idea of what 'Middle England' think of helping poorer families!

They could do that much more effectively if they raised your tax free allowance to £12,000 (or even £15,000) making savings through decreasing the complexity of the the tax system and eliminating the need to make people jump through hoops each year to estimate how much they will earn, and whether they have been paid too much or too little back in tax credits. It would also mean people would not have to remember to try figure out which benefits they are entitled too. Around 2 million of those entitled do not claim Working Tax Credit or its companion Child Tax Credit, despite there being around 7 million people in the UK entitled to do so.

Many of the people who do not claim tax credits are the ones who wouldn't receive a lot anyway! Not all, obviously, but whatever you and I think about the system, it has helped many low income families.

But what has this got to do with you arguing the govt don't care about young people because they don't vote and have no money? Are you suggesting the govt set the age limit to apease middle class voters (because they object to helping young people)?

Perhaps I've got the wrong end of the stick and you are saying something very different though?