can you actually afford to have a baby?

[redbear]

Luckly i have my parents if anything happened they would be there for me we are all very close. I do try to save but everytime we get somewhere the car breaks down or the washing machine goes or the dryer or all three so we always end up back at square one

Oh yes, been there.
I'm sure there is some higher power that knows when you have savings

Im sure your right! We had all three in one go plus my computer won't turn on! grrr just when we get something saved... oh well we will start again

 

[Iriki]

For some reason there's a view floating round atm (not just on here) that the world owes you something and your every whim should be catered for! This isn't true, noone owes you anything, you're in charge of your own destiny!

^^^ This exactly!

 

[Happyfeet]

At the end of the day its your own choice, if you want to ttc while your income is unstable or not ideal, then thats your decision. It would be irresponsible for you to then rely on benefits because you made the decision to have babies. There is more to take into consideration rather than 2 people just "wanting" to have babies. I want many things in life that I cant get for many reasons, some being that I cant afford them. The same goes for children. People have the right to decide. If they decide to go ahead and ttc without being financially secure then thats what they've decided and shouldnt expect the state to put money towards that.

Just because people can have babies, it doesn't mean they should. Yes you could go and fall pregnant whenever you wanted, but would it be responsible to say - I couldn't really afford it but decided to do it anyway as we might never be financially secure. Everyone has the right, yes. But they shouldn't then go looking for others (the state) to help.

I don't think anyone is taking it personally, everyone is just putting their point across. Whether everyone agrees with it or not is a different matter entirely - But that is the point of a debate after all!

I don't think anyone on this thread has come along and said that they are up for people ttc whilst on signing on etc.

The baby I am currently carrying has been in the making since January 2010, my Husband was made redundant during this time, and guess what, we didn't ttc as we couldn't afford it! We are in a much better position now, so we're doing it, whether or not it was a happy accident (we were avoiding ttc whilst waiting for testing at the RMC).

We're saving like everybody else to get everything that baby needs as well as our other expenses and Chrismas etc. I don't think being told that it's not responsible to have tried for our baby is useful though.

Who said that?

You dont fall into any of the category's mentioned so why are you saying that?

If you have saved for your baby then where is the problem

I dont get it

Perhaps I have misinterpretted your use of the word income and benefits here to mean wages earned and a tax credit top up. Maybe it's just me but I've never called JSA or Income support income so I took what you said to mean people on low wages who get tax credits.

 

[Happyfeet]

Luckly i have my parents if anything happened they would be there for me we are all very close. I do try to save but everytime we get somewhere the car breaks down or the washing machine goes or the dryer or all three so we always end up back at square one

Oh yes, been there.
I'm sure there is some higher power that knows when you have savings

Im sure your right! We had all three in one go plus my computer won't turn on! grrr just when we get something saved... oh well we will start again

Urgh, we've had that too! The best one was when the fridge died, car went capoot and the oven didn't want to work...

 

[Froslass]

I see tax credits as different to benefits, cause its a credit against your earnings if you know what I mean?

 

[Happyfeet]

I see tax credits as different to benefits, cause its a credit against your earnings if you know what I mean?

Yeah I see what you mean, I've just always known all of it to collectively be 'benefits'. I'm pretty sure they are classed as social security benefits.

 

[Froslass]

Yeah They are, but because they're against your income they're seen as different.

For example, most banks will take working tax credits 100% as income for a mortgage and child tax creds 60%-90% pending on the bank when working out income for a mortgage. Most also take child benefits into account.

 

[Happyfeet]

Yeah They are, but because they're against your income they're seen as different.

For example, most banks will take working tax credits 100% as income for a mortgage and child tax creds 60%-90% pending on the bank when working out income for a mortgage. Most also take child benefits into account.

OMG really??? I had no idea! All I ever hear are people slating TC claimants because they are technically benefits (not talking about on here, other sites), I just don't get it, we're all trying to earn more - To avoid the TC renewal form if nothing else lol.

 

[littlemiss83]

At the end of the day its your own choice, if you want to ttc while your income is unstable or not ideal, then thats your decision. It would be irresponsible for you to then rely on benefits because you made the decision to have babies. There is more to take into consideration rather than 2 people just "wanting" to have babies. I want many things in life that I cant get for many reasons, some being that I cant afford them. The same goes for children. People have the right to decide. If they decide to go ahead and ttc without being financially secure then thats what they've decided and shouldnt expect the state to put money towards that.

Just because people can have babies, it doesn't mean they should. Yes you could go and fall pregnant whenever you wanted, but would it be responsible to say - I couldn't really afford it but decided to do it anyway as we might never be financially secure. Everyone has the right, yes. But they shouldn't then go looking for others (the state) to help.

I don't think anyone is taking it personally, everyone is just putting their point across. Whether everyone agrees with it or not is a different matter entirely - But that is the point of a debate after all!

I don't think anyone on this thread has come along and said that they are up for people ttc whilst on signing on etc.

The baby I am currently carrying has been in the making since January 2010, my Husband was made redundant during this time, and guess what, we didn't ttc as we couldn't afford it! We are in a much better position now, so we're doing it, whether or not it was a happy accident (we were avoiding ttc whilst waiting for testing at the RMC).

We're saving like everybody else to get everything that baby needs as well as our other expenses and Chrismas etc. I don't think being told that it's not responsible to have tried for our baby is useful though.

Who said that?

You dont fall into any of the category's mentioned so why are you saying that?

If you have saved for your baby then where is the problem

I dont get it

Perhaps I have misinterpretted your use of the word income and benefits here to mean wages earned and a tax credit top up. Maybe it's just me but I've never called JSA or Income support income so I took what you said to mean people on low wages who get tax credits.

Income means money coming in. It doesn't matter where from. But yes i was referring to DWP benefits, not tax credits.

 

[littlemiss83]

How much tax credits you get depends on your income. JSA ect is a set amount.

JSA and income support and other such benefits are paid by the DWP

Tax credits are paid by the inland revenue.

Not that it matters because it will all be the universal credit in October (or maybe its next year I cant remember) but pretty soon they will all come from the same place.

 

[Froslass]

Thing is though, if minimum wage was higher I doubt at credits would be needed as much!

 

[Happyfeet]

Definitely! There are so many things that need looking at in this country, I just wish the governments would at least try to make it easier for families who want to earn their own crust. I'd love to go to work to earn my own money rather than just DH earning on it all, but the childcare costs - OUCH!

 

[cosmicgirl]

Tax credits COULD be potentially a really good system because it allows people who work to take out some of what they have put into the pot.
I don't think tax credits fall into the same category as benefits for people who have never out anything into the pot or don't intend to again x

Now I don't really understand JSA, but I thought that you had to prove that you were ACTIVELY seeking employment to get it???
So how do people claim it with no intention to work? Do they go to interviews and pay all the lip service but don't actually follow it through or are they just paid it anyway??? x

 

[cosmicgirl]

Definitely! There are so many things that need looking at in this country, I just wish the governments would at least try to make it easier for families who want to earn their own crust. I'd love to go to work to earn my own money rather than just DH earning on it all, but the childcare costs - OUCH!

Here here!! x

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

Cos the process is ridiculous, there's been an ad on recently for a prog about how easy it was to claim! When fob was on it, he used to just go in, they actually told him to say what sites he'd been looking on and write down the local paper! Even better is they actually send people to matalan when they get interviews to buy black trousers and a shirt and then reimburse them

 

[redbear]

Tax credits COULD be potentially a really good system because it allows people who work to take out some of what they have put into the pot.
I don't think tax credits fall into the same category as benefits for people who have never out anything into the pot or don't intend to again x

Now I don't really understand JSA, but I thought that you had to prove that you were ACTIVELY seeking employment to get it???
So how do people claim it with no intention to work? Do they go to interviews and pay all the lip service but don't actually follow it through or are they just paid it anyway??? x

I think you have to go to a job club now, twice a week for a few hours to try find you work, not that will stop people just turning up to that and not finding work. I agree that if minimum wage was higher then tax credits wouldn't be needed as much also it would be an insentive to work not claim benefits X

 

[cosmicgirl]

I thought they actually had to apply for jobs and go to interviews regularly x

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

Hqppyfeet, I'm the same, I've just started doing Avon to get myself back out to work and when E starts preschool I'll find something else too, but the incentive just isn't there, with me working we'll not be any better even without childcare to pay out cos we'll be above the threshold for tax credits! Just seems bloody daft, you go to work to support your family and provide, but don't reap the rewards! Well, bar knowing yoivr stood on your own two feet!

 

[Happyfeet]

I've looked into it, when the new baby comes, it'll cost me £80 a day to have baby and my three year old in nursery, then there's the cost of what ever the wrap around care would be for my 5 year old at school, plus my travelling expenses, work clothes etc. It's just not viable right now!

I really can't wait to watch this benefit cheats program tonight to find out exactly how the system gets rinsed by those actively NOT looking for work on JSA. It's in my mental diary, and there's not a great deal of room in there right now lol!

 

[Froslass]

Definitely! There are so many things that need looking at in this country, I just wish the governments would at least try to make it easier for families who want to earn their own crust. I'd love to go to work to earn my own money rather than just DH earning on it all, but the childcare costs - OUCH!

Totally agree!