Do you think child benefit should be capped like other benefits ?

[Spendthrifty]

Just had a (v wealthy) family member exclaim that they are v surprised I get child benefit for my new baby as they ‘thought it was capped at 2 children’ .They aren’t really sure though as earn approx 80k so don’t receive it themselves 😣🙄
Feeling very judged and then hear from someone else that said family meme we above believes giving us an extra £13a Week is encouraging people to have more children when they can’t afford it and encourages being a spendthrift .....

Feeling pretty shitty tbh about it is this what people really think

The only issue I have is that two parents earning £49k each are entitled to claim but one parent on 51k isn’t. Or it might be 60k but same unfairness exists.
Now it’s capped at two children and a ceiling sage it’s not the universal support it was so I wonder whether it might be better removing it altogether and using money to boost coffers of very low income families.

Another ignoramus here who thought it was capped at two children. No judgement fom me, just ignorance.

- under 20 if they stay in approvededucation or training

I thought it was 18. DD's stopped the August after she turned 18. But I know you are correct because I have just checked. Did the under 20 age limit change recently?

@BuffaloCauliflower It’s very odd wording as there’s no non-consensual sex option that isn’t rape

@NeverAMillionMilesAway I think it's possibly important in law? I agree with you, but there must be a specific legal reason why it doesn't just say rape.

@CiderJolly were born as a result of a non-consensual conception (including rape) or conceived when you were in a controlling or coercive relationship

Cider Jolly explains the difference
Women who conceive under coercive control often don’t consider they have been raped. They do not have to report it as rape they need evidence that they were in an abusive relationship and were coerced into sex and having a baby, including refusing to allow abortion.

Its not capped at 2 children. Anyone can claim it whether a high earner or not. A higher earner may have to pay some or all of it back depending how much they earn

CB for two children is £140 every 4 weeks. An extra child is just over £50 so considering how much they cost definitely not an incentive to have another child! I wouldn’t claim to be on benefits for receiving CB.

I also don’t agree re the capping at one person, it should be the family household. E.g. one parent could earn 60k and not be entitled to it whereas myself and my partner earn nearly 80k combined and are. It isn’t fair and doesn’t make any sense!

@Ginfordinner if they go to Uni or similar it stops

The first part is a common misconception, as shown here, so I'd try not to think much more on it. I can see why the last would sting, especially with a new baby, as it implies some parents care more about the benefit money than their child.

Maybe YOU don't get associated benefits with having cb but others do.

The only benefit I know that is 'associated with' child benefit is NI contribution that protects someone's pension. I don't see that as a bad thing, even if it feels unlikely that some of us will ever get that.

There are some benefits associated with having children, but by itself, Child Benefit doesn't act as a gateway to any other benefits - that's income-based benefits like Universal Credit/Tax Credits, which is already capped at 2 (though Working Tax Credits can be a hinderance to some benefits like FSM). It doesn't as a benefit change council housing - no local criteria I know of gives more if you claim child benefit and as others said it's really unlikely in most areas for a third child to mean a larger house, they're just not available and most I know in council houses with large families just make do like the rest of us. Even with first pregnancies, it's been really unlikely for years in many areas to get council housing though the idea of it still goes around.

And you pay for GP visits there I believe.

Ireland I mean

no

@Viviennemary not for children under the age of 6, not of you have a low wage and are eligible for a gp card, or if you have health insurance and can recoup some or all of the cost (depending on your policy)

I thought it was capped at two, too. I don't mean that as any kind of judgement at all, it's just what I believed. I only have one child, so never had to find out. Wonder why so many of us thought this was the case?

I can imagine the outrage if they tried to introduce payment for GP visits in the UK. I wouldn't be totally against it for adults with exemptions for low earners.

Just to mention if they are in a council house they don't automatically get a bigger house - they expect children to share until they're 10/11 so don't see why having more children would be beneficial

@Viviennemary i wouldn't be surprised if gp charges were introduced within the next 2-5 years!!

I can imagine the outrage if they tried to introduce payment for GP visits in the UK. I wouldn't be totally against it for adults with exemptions for low earners plenty of people who wouldn’t be consdiere

Pressed post too soon- if you charged for gp visits many many people wouldn’t go (leaving problems for develop) or clog up a&e with minor ailments

It is capped in England if you’re talking about the benefit cap as it’s included in the total benefits- does that make sense? So if you were on UC and the total UC plus CB exceeded the benefit cap, then they would deduct the excess from the UC award. You would still get the CB amount so you probably wouldn’t realise it was included in the cap as (unless this has changed) you can’t see the CB figure on the UC statement. Confusing or what?!?!

The 2 children limit is on UC for children born after 6th April 2017, but as already mentioned, there are exceptions.

CB is not limited to 2 children as far as I am aware- although I don’t work in this area. And like other have mentioned- it’s a small amount in England at least!

@OnlyFoolsnMothers that is very simply fixed...here in Ireland if you "turn up" at a&e it's a charge of €100...if you are referred by your gp then there is no charge...so there's no "free option" as such and filters out the need for a&e!! 😉

kittykat35 really?! Yeh not a system I’d welcome at all!

The system before the current one didn't used to be means tested did it? I'm sure my parents got it

Nope, previously not means tested, all children used to be equal.

Used by called Family Allowance and there was a wee booklet and my mum had to sign a slip and hand it over in the post office to collect it.

It changed in 2013 and meant high earners had to pay some or all of it back depending on wages (or you could opt out of getting the payment)

I recently had to pay a % of mine back; which I was expecting so no issues there- but didn’t appreciate the hmrc advisor on the phone asking if I’d like to opt out altogether ...would hmrc like to collect less tax from me?!
Also you need a CB letter to apply to schools - makes no sense to me. Why not just put children on the council tax bill then?!

Maybe it should be universal