Child benefit changes :-/

[Nic36]

I see what you are saying sue and totally agree, me and Oh were discussing this when saw it on news.

I have given up work to be a stay at home mum. Oh has a good job and next year will prob make just over the 42000 bracket, which is great and neither of us would object if the rules changed and we did not recieve any child benefit at all BUT what would annoy us would be that other high earners, eg a couple making 39,000 each WOULD recieve this. Its just not a fair system.

xx

We are in exactly the same situation as you. Because I have chosen to give up work to look after my child, our income is significantly less than a couple each earning say £39k - they will get child benefit, yet we will not as our one wage is just over the threshold for 40% tax. So not only do we pay a higher rate of tax as a household, but we will not get CB either. Seems a very unfair system.

 

[Cazza]

Oh has a good job and next year will prob make just over the 42000 bracket, which is great and neither of us would object if the rules changed and we did not recieve any child benefit at all BUT what would annoy us would be that other high earners, eg a couple making 39,000 each WOULD recieve this. Its just not a fair system.

xx

I agree it is an unfair way to apply this benefit.

My OH earns just under 40k and I am part time on 6k the £20 a week benefit is actually what makes me staying at home for a year on Maternity Leave possible.

A couple we know both earn 38k a year and of course they will continue to get their benefit, which I feel is grossly unfair.

 

[redbear]

My husband has a minimum paid job even tho he is a fully advanced qualified joiner went to college for 4 years etc there is no well paid work out there for him (trust me we look), so he earns what 15 grand a year, i earn less than that working three days which im stopping for a year so our income will hardly makes 25 thousand a year. So to be honest i would cap the tax at less than 80 for everyone because if i had that income i wouldn't need the money.

I know a lot of over 60/65's who dont need the money are donating it to charity or ticking a box to say they dont want it or something (it was on the radio and i was half listening) and they had phone calls from millionaires 60+ saying its stupid not checking where the money is going.

However i also agree that extra money shouldn't go to automatically to familys out of work. They have just made Job seekers higher and lowered working familys tax,
which means hand on heart ive worked it out we are better off both on the dole claiming..... We haven't done it i just wanted to know. How discusting is that OH gets up at 7am every day for basically no reason, he could lay in bed all day and we would have the same money. But we are not people who can do that, so i would like the money to make familys working tax better again to encorage people to work not just sit on there arse!

As you see i have a lot of opinions sorry about my rant xx

 

[Cazza]

I agree Redbear the whole system needs a rethink.

My lazy arsed filthy dirty sister and her OH have never worked, her son 22, daughter 19 have never worked. All sit on their arses all day watching Jeremy Kyle or Sky TV or playing on one of the various games things they have on their flat screen TV.

They make me sooooo cross as they don't see why they should work when they have a very comfortable life without having to get up and go to a job.

The goverment needs to start making it less attractive to stay at home and slob around and perhaps only give a token benefit to those doing voluntary work?? Restart apprenticeships schemes or even a type of national service for the younger generation to get a taste of the real world!!!

 

[redbear]

I totally agree Cazza, when OH was out of work (he was made redundant the company shut down) he tryed everything to get work, he tryed going self employed he applied for every job going even sweeping streets and scrubbing toilets until he found work. And they wouldn't give him any help, all these courses they say they do (forklift truck test etc) they wouldn't give him until he had been out of work longer than 6 months.
But then my scruffy cousin who her and her partner have never worked both sit at home doing nothing, and because she had a social worker she was getting offered jobs only available to people who had been in prison... My OH would have loved that job but couldn't because he hasn't been to jail!!!

The whole system makes me so angry, Apprentiships would be good if there was work after but there isn't because the building trade is on its arse still. But to actually lower working familys tax for people on low income that work and higher the other benifits for people who don't work just tops it off for me, im grateful if we receive anything but it still annoys me we may as well say f*** it and sit scratching our arse costing the goverment for the rest of our lives and be financially the same. Rather than temporary claim familys tax to help for a couple of years until i can get a better job and then we wouldn't cost them at all. It would cost them so much more long term. iykwim xx

 

[Nurse 26]

agree redbear and cazza, its just so crazy. makes me so angry that the goverment makes it so easy to sit at home and do nothing.

Redbear - my OH is a self employed joiner too, he has been very lucky with work though and has a good barn conversion job running into next year so we are secure but its a very volitile market at the moment and does not have anything lined up after. theres not alot of work for joiners at the moment but i hope it picks up soon. hopefully i plan to go back to work next year part time but i'm afraid nursing in scotland is in an even worse state than building makes me want to move to another country really

 

[redbear]

Nurse26- Well he did an apprentiship when he left school and worked for the same company for 6 years but then they shut down, and it was so hard for him to find any work, he now works as a matinence man, but honestly he applied for stacking shelves at asda and all sorts to try to work. He is only on minimum wage but is so glad to be back in work been a dolie sent him a bit depressed, especially having to deal with so much rejection - getting hopes up he had a job to be told no its hard.

But some people don't even try and are happy to stay on benifits for the rest of there lives with no plan to work, and you always see them sat in the pub drinking when i can't afford to do that!
Im a plumber with my gas so could earn a good wage (i only worked for my dad before becoming pregnant so was a shit wage) but i want a year off with the baby and then i want to go into something to do with plumbing but not the work haha maybe in an office or something, i just want a change. So eventually we will have some money and wont claim anything but it would be nice for the goverment to recognise that and help us more just now when we need it. Because at least we are trying to work not just taking money forever! xx

 

[positivity :)]

Interesting thread and opinions! In my opinion they shouldn't change the system at all. I understand why ppl on low incomes would say higher earners shouldn't get it but outgoings can be so high. We earn decent money but when I go back to work I will be paying childcare at £80+ per day which is the normal rate in the part of London where I live. Travel is extortionate at nearly 2k per year each! That £20 a week is £80 per month towards our childcare and will make a real difference. I feel constantly penalised for being a 'high' earner..no help with childcare, no tax credits, no subsidised travel, no help with living at all which I totally accept..but then they take away the one bit of help we are currently entitled to..I think my OH and I have paid plenty into the system so deserve something back! Xx

 

[redbear]

Im really sorry but i disagree with high earners needing £20 a week on top of there wage,
I know outgoings are high but £80 you get a month pays for one day's childcare, would you honestly struggle without getting one day a month childcare paid for? 2k is a massive amount to pay travel but still would only take your income to £76 grand a year if your where on the over 80 mark.
When your talking to people who get 15 grand and have to pay out £4200 a year (roughly) to get to work (run a car) its kinda pissing into the wind. I would happily give up £20 a week to have a income of over 80 a year, if we had an income of even 30 i dont think we would need it.
Yeh its more expencive but i bet you end up with something in your bank account at the end of the month, holidays, days out, new clothes and so you should you work but its all things we can't afford because we work for a low income. £20 a week has been the difference between been able to have something nice to eat for tea or noodles again. And yes its our own falt we didnt go to uni or live in london or anything but we still work the same hours just as hard just we have next to nothing to show for it.
Im very sorry if thats harsh! xx

 

[Cazza]

Pos I do actually agree with some of your points.

Although I feel that bringing a child into the world is the parents responsibility and they need to be able and willing to support a child, I do think that there needs to be some form of goverment subsidised childcare/subsidy to help those mothers who do have to/want to return to work.

And yes it is always the middle earners who get penalised by the goverment - soft target for them like the Police/NHS etc.

Here I am at the grand old age of 41 having my first child !! I've worked since the age of 15 and a half never claimed benefits (apart from the odd sick pay). My OH is due to retire from the Police in 3 years time so we thought we may just be financially safe in 3 years but NO this goverment want all his hard work and hard earned money back in their pot to continue handing out to other countries and the lazy arsed people in our society!!

 

[redbear]

Don't get me wrong i think they should offer free childcare to help people work, £80 a day is more than my OH earns and is a stupid price.
I also think child tax should only be for something like the first three children, because women like the one on Jeremy kyle who had six kids at the age of 28 or something and had a 60 inch tv and got thousands a week makes me upset, she could never work and earn what she was getting for having all those children.
And all the extra money they would save could go towards the NHS etc that are getting cut. I just think its all messed up, the super rich seem to get everything and the people out of work where anyone in the middle is left to struggle to get by even when they try there best.

 

[jules84]

Im really sorry but i disagree with high earners needing £20 a week on top of there wage,
I know outgoings are high but £80 you get a month pays for one day's childcare, would you honestly struggle without getting one day a month childcare paid for? 2k is a massive amount to pay travel but still would only take your income to £76 grand a year if your where on the over 80 mark.
When your talking to people who get 15 grand and have to pay out £4200 a year (roughly) to get to work (run a car) its kinda pissing into the wind. I would happily give up £20 a week to have a income of over 80 a year, if we had an income of even 30 i dont think we would need it.
Yeh its more expencive but i bet you end up with something in your bank account at the end of the month, holidays, days out, new clothes and so you should you work but its all things we can't afford because we work for a low income. £20 a week has been the difference between been able to have something nice to eat for tea or noodles again. And yes its our own falt we didnt go to uni or live in london or anything but we still work the same hours just as hard just we have next to nothing to show for it.
Im very sorry if thats harsh! xx

I completely agree with this xx

 

[positivity :)]

Im really sorry but i disagree with high earners needing £20 a week on top of there wage,
I know outgoings are high but £80 you get a month pays for one day's childcare, would you honestly struggle without getting one day a month childcare paid for? 2k is a massive amount to pay travel but still would only take your income to £76 grand a year if your where on the over 80 mark.
When your talking to people who get 15 grand and have to pay out £4200 a year (roughly) to get to work (run a car) its kinda pissing into the wind. I would happily give up £20 a week to have a income of over 80 a year, if we had an income of even 30 i dont think we would need it.
Yeh its more expencive but i bet you end up with something in your bank account at the end of the month, holidays, days out, new clothes and so you should you work but its all things we can't afford because we work for a low income. £20 a week has been the difference between been able to have something nice to eat for tea or noodles again. And yes its our own falt we didnt go to uni or live in london or anything but we still work the same hours just as hard just we have next to nothing to show for it.
Im very sorry if thats harsh! xx

I completely agree with this xx

It's not harsh it's Ur opinion. I just want to point out I didn't go to uni, that really annoys me when ppl assume that. X

 

[jules84]

I think she was referring to the expenses of those factors a lot of high earners have high outgoings i think she was listing examples, not sure though, but that's how I took it. xx

 

[positivity :)]

Also, we don't earn 80k but one of us earns over the suggested threshold, altho my opinion stands for those that do earn that much, so the £20 per week will make a big difference as actually I earn £82 per day, my OH is the higher earner, not being rude I just wanted to clear that up xx

 

[JJ Mum]

Well after having 4 kids, I'm now not working fulltime or parttime as I have done with all of the others, but my hubby works but his wage is only 18k. This is fine it's a descision we made for me to spend more time wikth the kids and doing everything needed for them all - but I am lucky to do this, we have low spending, outgoings to make this possible.

Having said that we now get £242.00 a month from child benefit, which I don't see as claiming a real benefit as everyone is eligble (how I would feel if i's means tested I don't know), but it is needed and so useful. I did always use it for bills, but now better organised with money, i'm using it for 3 sets of swimming lessons, brass band, Music lessons, school trips. Althletics fees, scout and cub subs and clothes and shoes.

Think the system needs looking at as it should be fair for all, and what you do with the money is up to you, I have a freind who has always been able to put her kids money away for them, and she told me a few years back that her eldest son, then about 9 , had over 10K in his bank - wow, but afraid kids aare money pits as they get older .....

Brought my 12 year old size 8 shoes the other day and had to buy small adult jeans and t-shirts from Primark! OMG the cost

 

[l_maclean]

Tbh there really isn't an easy way to solve this problem, I certainly wouldn't like to be in government trying to sort out what is a global issue.

I also agree with pos to a certain extent - high earners can have high outgoings through no fault of their own. My DH has a good job in the oil industry - and while is currently under the tax threshold, prob won't be for long. - I've been unable to find work in our area because it's sooo oil based - despite the fact I have a first class honours degree. My bro & SIL both work in minimum wage jobs, - so while our income is prob double there's, the area we need to be in for DH to work means our house (which is smaller than theirs) cost nearly 3times the price! - so yes he's be classed as a high earner, and there are a lot of couples here who both work in oil - ANY outgoings in our area reflect that - house prices, petrol, child care, - absolutely everything is cheaper when we go to visit my parents 3hours away! Xxx

 

[positivity :)]

Yep that's my point. Literally at the end of my road is the London congestion charging zone which costs £10 per day to cross, of course we avoid it as much as we can, just another example of many things that cost a bomb! I am living in the area of London where I was born, eventually we will have to leave the place I have grown up in as we are getting priced out so therefore I think it's unfair for others to assume that £20 per week doesn't help xx

 

[redbear]

I meant that a lot of high earners got to where they are by going to uni and living in an area where they can earn that sort of money, and often say 'its not our falt we went and got a good job why didnt you?' which i can understand but its not that easy, if it was everyone would get that money.

Yes higher earners often have high outgoings but in proportion to there wage its actually not that bad, its very rare someone who earns the higher tax band does not have spare money at the end of the month after outgoings. My mum and dad dont earn higher tax but my dad has a good wage and my mum said she would be happy to give up the money and they have high outgoings because at the minute they dont have a tennant on one of the houses so paying two morgages run three cars pay petrol and insurance and tax and the rest of the crap, They are still never skint and they dont earn anywhere near high tax band, so i really struggle to understand how someone can earn over double our income but still say they need £20 a week and would struggle without it.

Maybe i think of struggle in different terms than other people. Im glad the goverment agree and are stopping it, its one thing i think thats right. xx

 

[l_maclean]

I meant that a lot of high earners got to where they are by going to uni and living in an area where they can earn that sort of money, and often say 'its not our falt we went and got a good job why didnt you?' which i can understand but its not that easy, if it was everyone would get that money.

Yes higher earners often have high outgoings but in proportion to there wage its actually not that bad, its very rare someone who earns the higher tax band does not have spare money at the end of the month after outgoings. My mum and dad dont earn higher tax but my dad has a good wage and my mum said she would be happy to give up the money and they have high outgoings because at the minute they dont have a tennant on one of the houses so paying two morgages run three cars pay petrol and insurance and tax and the rest of the crap, They are still never skint and they dont earn anywhere near high tax band, so i really struggle to understand how someone can earn over double our income but still say they need £20 a week and would struggle without it.

Maybe i think of struggle in different terms than other people. Im glad the goverment agree and are stopping it, its one thing i think thats right. xx

I can honestly say - that our household income is probably double my brothers. But in absolutely no way is our standard of living any different. I buy smart price things in asda, I budget very carefully, we've just moved into a house that needs a fair bit of work done, and we have to work out what we can afford and when. £20 a week might not sound much - but thats nearly £100 a month - and yes - to us that makes a big difference!!

xxx