AIBU to feel the media is pushing Starmer out?

Yes, I was a lifelong supporter. Not anymore.

This is why the system is broken.

Absent parents not contributing to the children they decided to have.

We do need to start taking rights off absent parents who refuse to pay adequate maintenance, taking the money directly from their wages and benefit and handing it over to the main carer.

Are you for real????? He’s just delivered record debt levels (in the billions!!!!) and we now pay out more in welfare than is received in tax and that’s without anything else!! The country is on its knees starmer has had more than enough time to make a difference but he’s failed so same as if you were in any other job you fail you go!!! I’m glad he gone

Unfortunate; however, your ex-husband should not be allowed to not contribute. It should be mandatory.

‘Demand’?’ Yes. That will do it.

This concoction, I have no interest in responding to.

Having a child in poverty is not the solution.

Actually, it's the other way round. Numpties thinking what the media tells them to think. There's an easy fix, but no government has been brave enough to do it.

😂😂😂

As you can see. My point is that needing benefits is not synonymous with ‘feckless’ behaviour. They are to support people when they need it. Some will abuse that. Just like some rich people abuse the tax loopholes.

FYI. I have left an abusive marriage and am not in a position to ask him anything.

Peoples lives are complicated and complex and the reasons for poverty are multifaceted and complex and not just down to individual actions.

Am I missing the common denominator here?

Demand that your ex-husband pay more.

I mean, good gracious, what is so hard to understand?

And when the position is unwound? Because if it isn’t ever unwound this sounds very much like the loan charge, which ended in a very sticky manner.

So - dear - tell me this;

Jeff Bezos made his money setting up Amazon. He needs his minimum wage workers to keep his business going. So we will always need unskilled, low paid jobs to be filled.

With AI there will be fewer and fewer jobs.

So we have and will continue to have vast swathes of people on low wages or unemployed. Cost of living set to continue to rise. Some will be able to improve their finances and some won’t.

For those that can’t - they either forfeit their right to have a family or we accept that there will be more and more children living in poverty?

Thats your stance?

DH and I have had such horrible horrible years together. There were many years of fighting, arguing. So many issues. But we stayed for the kids and after a few decades (30 years now) we are doing so much better

Well they dont need 'income' do they? So they use their wealth as collateral to borrow money - so it shows as debt rather than income - to buy whatever they like. It IS income in everything but name. But yet they dont get taxed on it the same way anyone else would. THAT loophole.

Exactly. Ask your ex to give you enough to support his kids. Why bring us into it?

If we look at Kemi she said two things recently that I really respected. The said testing puberty blockers on children is abhorrent and she thinks the trial should be stopped, and that Jewish people living in the UK should be allowed to live in peace. You can agree with these policies or not, but they’ll be unpopular with some but she wasn’t afraid to say it. It’s what she thinks and what her values are.

Contrast with Keir. He said the agricultural IHT exemption ought to be removed, and the WFA ought to be withdrawn too. Both of which are laudable policies (the agricultural IHT exemption had been used as a vast loophole) but despite having lots of advisers they could help him design these changes in a fair way (that didn’t hit genuine farmers or genuinely poor pensioners) he ignored all advice and ploughed in in a totally cack handed manner. Then had to u turn in an equally cack handed manner, leaving schemes that don’t really work properly still. It looked really incompetent and fogs whatever he was trying to achieve. Keir was just disappointingly poor at implementing successful policies.

Sanctimonious? Boris was partying during Covid. Calling that out is not sanctimonious.

Therefore, the child maintenance that your ex-husband pays to you is not enough.

Why is this someone else's responsibility?

Again, you're not supposed to enjoy your fruits of your hard work in their country.

YANBU. We’re walking into a humanitarian disaster. This culture of bullying leaders out needs to end.

How is it just, that Kier got the hate he did, get Trump seems untouchable after the atrocities he’s done? The sexism, racism, the antagonism and pure stupidity - yet he seems like Teflon.

If we allow this to continue as a country and world, our children will experience the crimes and fear this brings. I want my kids to grow up in a country that supports its vulnerable, grows and invests as an economy in ethical practices and, above all, feels optimistic and kind. There’s too much hatred around now.

I get CMS. But having gone from no mortgage and half bills to rent and full bills, CMS and Child Benefit are essential.

I'm not anti-trans, I'm pro women's rights.
I don't care what gender you are but I do care what sex you are, it could have a massive impact on my safety.
And what has intersex (outdated term) got to do with anything?

Wow.

Sadly I agree with you op.

Is your ex-husband not providing for you?