AIBU to think George Osbourne is a T**T

[Mum2Luke]

We are a family of 5 which a 21 yr old at University, 18 year old due to start uni next year and a 9 year old, DH earns the £43,000 and pays 40% tax on that as well as all the bills yet next year we are going to be one of the many families with no CB because he sees fit to think we earn a fortune yet a couple earning double get to keep the benefit!!!! We are also supporting our middle child in bus travel to and from college.

My CB goes straight to my son and daughter (as she is in full-time education) , I do not see a penny of it, it goes straight from my bank to theirs to buy shoes, clothes etc and is a lifeline. I do work but only 5 hours a week as a dinner lady in a school kitchen as my childminding has all but dried up with people being out of work in my area. I get pretty peed off with people who say 'oh you had kids, pay for them yourselves' which we have, all 3 of ours were planned and we saved up before even trying for them, no fancy prams that cost £300. Children are our future aren't they?

Does this Chancellor not undertsand that food is going through the roof as well as everything else which needs a lorry which uses diesel to transport it because the government puts tax after tax on fuel? Its is getting more and more expensive to pay for shopping and clothes which are essential in this country and its lovely climate.

Before people say 'Get a job near home' to my DH, believe me he tried, there is NOTHING in our area, he moved to his present job because the one which was local and he could cycle to was not paying anywhere near what he is qualified for, he might as well be on the dole but he is too proud, yes he's got a good job, he's worked bloody hard to get where he is, no company car though, he drives a KIA Rio 1.4. We don't go on foreign holidays every year, we don't smoke and we don't go out much together either.

Next year my son will be starting senior school in the september and the uniform alone will cost a fortune pus the football boots and trainers they have to have which also are not cheap by any means, the loss of CB is really stressing me out, I feel like writing to George f%&*$ing Osbourne and buying him a decent calculator because he obviously can't add up!!!!!!

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

YABU... Your family has an income that is well above the national average. Doesn't mean you 'earn a fortune' but many people bring up three children on a lot less than that. A 21 year-old and an 18 year-old are adults and can get their own evening or weekend jobs to supplement the family income.

[Mum2Luke]

After all the tax taken of and the bills paid he is not left with very much, the eldest is away at university, has tried and tried to get a job but at the moment has not got the time due to him writing his dissitation, the middle one will obviously lose the CB anyway going to university but will have the £9,000 tuition bill instead and because of what DH earns, we will get very little help towards paying rent for halls.

There are NO jobs around here, even KFC and McDonalds are not taking on so where is she supposed to get one? She has tried but fitting one in between college and travelling home is almost impossible and the ones she did apply to never even replied. Am hoping the eldest can find work once he has graduated.

Many people have extra benfits too, we get no tax credits so I cannot afford to go out to work as I have no family nearby. I would do anything to go out to work and do a job which i love, I didn't do a Foundation Degree in Early Years to work as a dinner lady for an hour a day either but I have to think of my youngest, can't leave him during the long school holidays on his own can I!!!!! I cannot afford to do the next MA degree, it cost enough to pay for the one I've just finished. We are NOT on a fortune, we haven't got SKY, a massive 4X4 car, fancy phones or anything, we just work hard to pay bills.

[Triggles]

I would think that your 21yo and 18yo are old enough to work part time to help cover their own expenses, along with student loans if necessary.

Your income is hardly qualifies as "might as well be on the dole" so you are being ridiculously overdramatic in this instance.

Yes, the current way CB is figured out re 1 income vs 2 incomes is not appropriate and should be changed. But until that happens, unfortunately, whether or not George Osbourne is a twat (and for heaven's sake, if you're adult enough to imply the word, just man up and SAY the stupid word.. don't * part of it out, we're all adults here) is entirely irrelevant to your situation.

Look over your budget, see where you can trim things (often the food budget is an easy trim), go over what money you're spending on your 21yo and 18yo and tell them they need to start taking more responsibility now for their own finances. If you still are financially short, then I suppose you'd be best to supplement your own income in some way perhaps by taking a different job or seeing if there is any way to increase your hours at the school.

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

YABU
He's a cunt

[nerfgunsftw]

Can your husband take a week unpaid leave this year ? Should put him below the red line. Or do less overtime? Or some other small change?

[Triggles]

Is it possible for your DH to take the bus to work instead of driving? Is the car a necessity?

Your adult children in University should be getting their bus passes at student rate, so that should make a difference in their personal expenses. Are both of them living at home? I would think if they are, as they are most likely not paying you rent (or utilities or probably food), they should be able to cover their other expenses quite easily. Yes, it may mean that money is tight for them, but it's a good opportunity for them to learn to live within a budget.

There are loads of ways you can save money within your budget, check out moneysavingexpert website. And for the love of God, don't go on there saying "sob sob we only have an income of £43K to live on, what SHALL we do?" or the bloodbath will be horrific.

[Mum2Luke]

Did you not read my last post - the 21 year old is in his last year of Leicester University, he lives out (obviously, we live in Manchester) and is working his socks off to finish his dissitation - do any of you know what that is even? I do NOT want him starting his life off in tons of debt, he wants to work but there IS NOTHING part-time or full-time in either Leicester or here so are you going to wave a magic wand and jobs will appear from nowhere?

The 18 year old is in same situation, she is currently going for interviews at universities so until she knows where she will be in September she cannot apply for jobs until after interviews. She does earn her money by babysitting her brother and doing ironing jobs but I cannot afford to pay her, would you like to?

I am merely stating how unfair it is that one person earning £43,000 has it taken away yet 2 people earning double £80,000+ get to keep it. It is punishing people who either choose to be with their kids at home, or like me taking low paid term-time part-time work because I have no choice because I cannot afford childcare. How can I increase hours if they haven't got any to give me, am a bloody dinner lady in the kitchen for goodness sake!!!!!!!!! I want to go out to work when youngest ds is at high school but who will mind him in the holidays? Not supposed to leave an 11 year old alone.

nerfsftw - he doesn't get overtime and no he can't take unpaid leave, who will pay the main bills (mortgage etc)? We shop at Aldi and Lidl and very occasionally at Asda, how basic can we get? At the moment my childminding has dried up too, there are no calls and I'm not the only one in this area, I am still chasing someone for money she hasn't paid to me.

[Eliza22]

He is a complete twat.

I'm going to have a moan about it too. My husband earns £55k a year. Now, before aloof you start saying "YOU shouldn't get it" I'll give my mitigating circumstances, if I may.

We have (between us) 4 offspring. Three from his previous marriage to a woman who ended their marriage (long before I came along). I have one child who is disabled from my previous marriage. I had a full time job. Had worked from aged 16 to my (now aged 50) late 40's but found shift work and a disabled child not compatible.

We have a hefty mortgage as his former wife got to keep their home as she had the kids and he didn't want them disturbed.

Dh works 12 hr plus days. He provides for his kids and my son. He pays 40% tax. His salary sounds a lot but IT'S STRETCHED TO CAPACITY. I'm not looking for sympathy but FFS, I look at my husband at times and wonder if he's thinking "how far can I stretch this money?"

It's ludicrous. The child benefit is essential to us.

[LaurieFairyCake]

I agree that it isn't fair that 2 people earning £40k each can get it - but life isn't fair and neither are the Tories.

There are many choices which have now been taken away from you and your family and you are going to have to come to terms with them or maybe get on board with them.

With your eldest it's really simple - YOU don't want him to start working life with a load of debt. Tough, the taxpayer has chosen to push that onto the student (I don't agree but I understand the argument). He won't have to pay it back until he can afford it. Also if he had wanted to be saddled with less debt he could have stayed at home and gone to a uni in Leicester.

Your second child also has less choices now - she can save money and go to a uni close to home or she can take on more personal debt and go somewhere else - either way you have the 'choice' to not pay her money.

Your third child - sounds like you are doing all you can so far - you're trying to increase your term-time job, you're trying to get more hours. You can only keep persevering.

You have lost 'choice' - you now cannot afford to support your adult children because the government has pushed that 'choice' onto them.

[PeneloPeePitstop]

YABU.... you shouldn't THINK it, you should KNOW it

[Mum2Luke]

No it is NOT possible, he starts early, there are NO buses to where he works and there are NO JOBS near home, am not moving to Rochdale and away from friends to start all over again. My son cycles to University or walks because he does not get student rate, he does live within his means, never asks us for any money as he knows we haven't got it to give and the 18 year old gets no help either, we pay £40+ per month for a megarider ticket for buses - why? because DH earns just over the limit before tax and we get no help from relations either.

I have said before, we have done everything we can to budget, are we supposed not to have a family holiday, a car to be able to go shopping and things alot of people enjoy on a lot less? The middle one loses it just after her 19th birthday in August. Why shouldn't we gets something back from this greedy lot who are in charge? DH has paid enough in to the pot, CB gives you credits for National Insurance so if its taken away I and plenty of others will not get any, is that fair?

[Triggles]

Did you not read my last post - the 21 year old is in his last year of Leicester University, he lives out (obviously, we live in Manchester) and is working his socks off to finish his dissitation - do any of you know what that is even? I do NOT want him starting his life off in tons of debt, he wants to work but there IS NOTHING part-time or full-time in either Leicester or here so are you going to wave a magic wand and jobs will appear from nowhere?

[Hullygully]

GIDEON IS AN UNSPEAKABLE VILE PRIVILEGED EVIL CUNT

[Triggles]

I think YABU in comparing what you feel you "should" have in comparison to others. A holiday? Nice, but in financially tight times, not necessary. A car? again, we've made do without one for years. The only reason we have one now is because MIL paid for it as our DS2 is disabled and it is often the only way to get him places reliably.

Again, unfortunately, some of your situation is based on your choices.

[Triggles]

For what it's worth, I'm not keen on George Osbourne either. In that respect, YANBU.

[Mum2Luke]

We don't live in Leicester, we live in Manchester so get facts right first. Manchester did not offer the course he wnated to do and it is very difficult to get into Manchester as well so no, he could not stay at home, at 19, he wanted to move away and be independant, last summer he worked in a nightclub as a barman, he worked nearly everyday and paid towards his upkeep, he graduates this year but am fearful he won't be able to find work.

The 18 year old wants to do a course also not offered at Manchester, again I say Manchester is VERY hard to get into. She wants to do Art and Design and has been accepted at De Montford already, she wants work, there just isn't any at the moment.

I am doing everything I can, I have asked for more hours but as the local Council pays my dinner lady wage have said they have no more to offer. At the moment I am advertising the childminding but have had nothing back as there are more and more childminders and private nurseries cropping up and taking work away. My son's friends have mobile phones - my son doesn't because I cannot afford one, am really starting to worry about him starting senior school, I just know he will get bullied because he hasn't got the right phone/trainers etc, kids are cruel when you are the only one without but I have to find the money from somewhere for the uniform alone.

[hackmum]

Not wanting to get embroiled in the OP's specific situation, but yes, Osborne is a t*.

The child benefit cut will hit a lot of people hard. I know some people say £40k is a lot of money, but it really does depend on circumstance - if you're living in the south east, for example, and have three or four children, and bought your house once the housing boom was well underway and hence have a big mortgage, you're going to have a lot of outgoings. And I know people say that you have a choice of how many children you have, but that's a bit hard on people who had their children before the cut was made.

And don't forget they're going to reduce the top rate of tax because those poor dears who are currently paying 50% just can't cope. All in it together? Pull the other one.

[dreamingbohemian]

I wrote my MA dissertation while working nearly full-time -- of course it's possible, you have to be very organised and give up your social life for a short time but it's doable.

The best thing your son can do to get a job when he graduates is to have a job now, even a part-time one.

I also wonder if you've really done your math, surely it would be better to take a job with more hours during term time and then save up for childcare during holidays? I realise you can't increase your hours in your current job but perhaps you could get a part-time retail job?

[LaurieFairyCake]

"We don't live in Leicester, we live in Manchester so get facts right first. Manchester did not offer the course he wnated to do and it is very difficult to get into Manchester as well so no, he could not stay at home, at 19, he wanted to move away and be independant, last summer he worked in a nightclub as a barman, he worked nearly everyday and paid towards his upkeep, he graduates this year but am fearful he won't be able to find work"

• then you're going to have to actually let him be independant if he chooses a course at a different uni or doesn't get the grades to get into the local uni/doesn't want to choose a course there.
  

Your family can't afford to subsidise your adult children's choices - it's not YOUR fault, it's just the way things are now.

Everyone's going to have to compromise - if they don't get the grades, they don't go to uni, if they don't want to struggle or take on debt then they don't get to go.

And everyone's fearful their adult children won't find work - the good news is that at least he won't have to pay back his student loans until he does - cold comfort thought that is.

Frankly I think you need to stop beating yourself up for what you can't afford. Your youngest will have to have a cheap mobile - they have them for 99p in Tesco

[Triggles]

Oh good grief. Your son is what, 9?? And you're stressing about him not having a mobile? And in the same thread that you're stressing about not having enough money? Does the word PRIORITIES mean anything to you??

Oh... and >>>>>We don't live in Leicester, we live in Manchester so get facts right first.

[dreamingbohemian]

Btw I do think the child benefit cut is not fair the way it's set up. But I think you, as a family, have a lot of options to make up the shortfall, as you are barely working and your older DC are not working at all right now. So in that sense, YABU.

[chandellina]

Ok, but where do you draw the line? Should George Osborne get child benefit?

I thought they were trying to work out a fairer solution anyway?

[PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling]

What Hully said.
The news last night that they might drop the 50p tax put me off my dinner, I was so angry. I can't decide if they think there is no opposition party viable so theyre bound to get reelected and can do what they want, or the coalition is so shaky they all know it's going to fall apart and are adopting a Rome is Burning approach, and I can't decide which of those is the more depressing.

[housedilemma]

Can your husband salary sacrifice into his pension to get below the tax threshold?

[BreconBeBuggered]

Osborne is a complete cunt, as are his cronies. That's surely a given.
OP, I can see you're going to get a bit of a pasting, but you have my sympathy. We're in a similar position. Now, IF we'd stayed in the very nice house we bought when we were first married, and not used up our savings on multiple house removals to stay in work and pay our way, we could be on the same income but be around £1,000 a month better off. More, if work remained local and we weren't spending £200 a month on commuting. As it is, we're struggling to pay a mortgage on an ex-council property, our son won't qualify for any non-loan help when he starts university, and we'll lose child benefit for the younger one.
I don't expect any sympathy from anyone on a much lower family income than ours. But it does seem to me that looking only at earned income is a crude way of assessing what a family can afford to lose or give away.