Am I the only one that thinks that the budget is good?!

I can understand why people on MN think this way. Let’s hope you’re ok with her coming back again next year with more tax hikes. That’s what happens with a tax and spend policy.

Wait until Reform get hold of the stats being reported by the spectator. The two child benefit cap removal will give more money to 341k foreign born families. So basically an out of control immigration system and then giving out even more benefits to foreign born parents who have never contributed enough and never will contribute enough to pay for all these extra benefits.

Nothing racist about it, the numbers are starting to spill out and they’re a gift to Reform. And understandably so.

But doesn't that shock you?

Everyone I know well enough to discuss such things, thought long and hard before having another child. The biggest question being can we afford it? And if they couldn't they (sadly) didn't have another.

Yes, accidents can happen. But if after the surprise third child, you're really struggling, then why not look for more permanent/failsafe family planning options. It's not difficult and it's free.

Are so many people really that financially illiterate and unable to sensibly plan for their family's future?

The worse off may be less worse off for a short while but without a decent plan to encourage hard work and industriousness in the economy as a whole, it'll be very short lived. So enjoy it while it lasts.

Do you have any evidence that parents living in poverty are choosing to spend the little money they have getting their nails done as opposed to feeding and clothing their children?

Except you don’t get child benefit if you earn over £60k…

I agree OP

it will impact us negatively, the freeze on thresholds and pension sacrifice will impact us.
However I think the measures in the budget are the right things to do at this point in time.

It's obviously not helping the "working" class as everyone working is less well off.

Well it will help the nail bars as thats what the money will be spent on. If the government wanted to really help children they would offer extra food, activities ,something that goes directly to the children.

I hear you. It’s sickening. I think the budget was fair and less harsh than expected. Obvs high earners will pay a bit more but that’s as it should be, or at least as it needs to be.

Yes, you're right. I hadn't realised they were independent of each other.

So probably not relevant to the budget but it still makes me angry that we are handing child benefit to households earning £60k plus instead of using that cash for people who actually need it.

But it’s going to do it for more families than not scrapping it.

The markets gave the budget a ringing endorsement which means lower borrowing costs - think Liza Truss in reverse. That’s good for business. Also the government has invested heavily into science and tech inc AI, nuclear and quantum technologies, with big chunks of money going to Scotland and Wales. Also investment in car manufacturing advanced technologies - DRIVE35. Growth is forecast to rise and interest rates are forecast to fall.

@AccidentallyWesAnderson Well you can’t prevent yourself getting cancer, Parkinson’s no, are people begrudging this type of benefit? No one chooses this.

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

Thank goodness we have something to cling on to.

There is already a windfall tax on energy companies.

Wealth tax is expensive to administer and can create adverse consequences as in Norway a couple of years ago where the increase of their wealth tax caused a reduction of revenues. Would you like that?

But its not going to do that for many children and families

policyinpractice.co.uk/blog/new-analysis-benefit-cap-blocks-support-for-1-in-5-families-hit-by-two-child-limit/

I would have liked to see a wealth tax of 1% on those with assets over £10 million as per Green Party manifesto plus a windfall tax on energy and rail companies.
It appears the rich are getting richer while most people’s living standards are being reduced.

Looking solely at the economic arguments of scrapping the benefit cap, hundreds of thousands of children growing up in poverty is extremely expensive for a country. Children in poverty have poorer health outcomes, significantly worse educational attainment, poorer social mobility, more likely to fall into crime etc. Poverty is often multi-generational so children growing up in poverty often become parents raising their own children in poverty and so the cycle continues.

Of course there are ‘feckless’ parents out there, no one’s disputing that but there are significantly more families that are trying their hardest to feed, clothe and house their children but are finding it increasingly hard to do so. Ultimately, even if you still think families are living in poverty due to the poor choices of the parents, it’s never the child’s fault.

Certainly seems to be true of senior Labour ministers, I’ll give you that.

Quite often the more people have the greedier they get.

Well you can’t prevent yourself getting cancer, Parkinson’s no, are people begrudging this type of benefit? No one chooses this.

Or is it more about that you can prevent getting pregnant, and one should consider things like what would happen if a relationship breaks down or death of a partner occurs (not new phenomenons) and if you can work/support yourself if the above occurs, before having 3/4/5 children. It’s this that people have a problem with. Supporting other people’s life choices. Choice being the word here.

I don’t think this is delusional.

Because of the higher rate of tax and lack of any support.

We’re not helping children in poverty. We’re helping Rachel Reeves and her boss keep their jobs by pandering to the demands of backbench Labour MPs.

This is my worry too. I agree some people deserve more pay….by the consequence for some businesses is that we will have lose staff