Resentment at 100k

Manchester is amazing it definitely has London vibes when it comes to fun etc. but with far less risk of being flattened by a Deliveroo moped or having your phone pinched

Not much help financially, so I couldn't shank it on holidays and having my nails done, spa days and the usual shit that 'benefit scrougers' are supposed to be doing. Took ages to get the basics sorted with rent and money for food on the table.

People don't accept this, there are lots of people campaigning for a completely different childcare system - but until people like you join them, it will never change. I suggest you stop moaning on here and do something about it.

Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester...

None of the things you’ve just said describe London, for most people.

If you want fun and excitement and a city that never sleeps where do people move to in the UK?

I entirely agree. I think the incentive to make the right choices is being eroded.

I also have no issue with paying higher taxes for it to end up in the right places, but I don’t think it is.

In my personal life I’m very prudent, believe in financial resilience, personal responsibility and value for money. It’s hard to see it being spent in the way it is.

You’re quite right. We don’t even have electricity Oop Norf, I have to work by candle light.

I make my children hold them for me after their shifts down t’ mines.

That's right. All of us in the rest of the country are just sitting on a dry stone wall, staring gormlessly at a sheep.

Wales might be a bit far, but people can and do commute from the midlands to London. Or perhaps you should choose a career where you work from home. After all, according to this thread, you just pick the job you want and as long as you're a hard worker you can have it.

Most of the action in the country is in London. It's where things happen.

That you could have stayed there until you no longer had to pay childcare, instead of getting a massive mortgage and then complaining that you can't afford the lifestyle you want.

Did you know that the world doesn't end at the M25 and you could live outside of London? Or even (gasp!) outside the South East!

So you don't mind not getting it as long as other people get less too?

I agree that the child care allowance should taper off instead of just stopping, especially in the SE, where things are stupidly expensive, but is it really a really block to earning more?

You had options prior to having a child, such as living somewhere cheaper and having a longer commute, but you opted not to take them, and that's fine; it's your choice, your money, but you did have that choice. A lot of people don't have that because they cannot afford to buy a home.

Plus, you will still benefit in the long term from earning more even if things are a bit tighter while the children are young. Childcare is not preventing you from earning more; it's just making it a bit harder in the short term.

The £100k - £125k bracket is a bit of a weird anomaly that really should be smoothed out. However if you are earning at that level at the stage in life when you're paying childcare it is likely to be short term pain for a long term gain.

You could cut your hours, but that might impact your progression. You could alternatively use salary sacrifice significantly for those years. Either way there is still an incentive to acheive as childcare is only an issue for a short time and salaries continue to increase as you progress.

Try being ill in a supermarket job. Try needing to have adjustments made. Try asking if you can finish half an hour early so you can see your kids nativity. Try having to make gp appointments around your working hours so you arent docked pay. Try having a bereavement and knowing a few hours to go to the funeral will be unpaid. Try being spat at. Shouted at. Coughed on. Working in a freezing environment. Having to help with heavy deliveries because "any other reasonable duties within your remit". Dirty old men wiggling cucumbers at you while you laugh like its the first time you've heard that joke.

Try saying no to being asked to do extra hours with a few hours notice to cover for Janet when its in your contract overtime is mandatory.

Never being allowed Christmas off. Holidays being cancelled. Shifts changed to shitty hours.

Like fuck would I ever work in retail again. At least when im up til midnight working extra by choice im in my pj's in a warm house knowing i could turn my laptop off any time and just get up earlier to finish off.

That being said, anyone regularly having to work til 2am is clearly struggling with their role - whether capability or resource wise - so should raise this with their employer.

You may have responded to this already, apologies if so.

Is there a different policy decision you’d support?

I think it’s inevitable that those who earn over a certain amount would lose that benefit, but personally I’d taper it - and start doing so at an earlier salary.

If you pay into the system for a long time or pay a lot of tax, it is like paying insurance. Do you feel gratitude towards your insurance company? Sure, it is a relief when they pay out and you accept that you might not have to claim when others will need to, but no one pretends it is free or goes around saying how grateful they are to insurance companies.