Yay! Looks like Child Benefits are next on Dave's hitlist...

[cupcakesandbunting]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11009535

Speculation, my bum. We all know what's coming, Dave.

On the contrary.
Shdad has made the best point on this thread so far.

Also, I think that shdad was making the point that some people take into consideration CB when planning for a child, which seems a bit weird IMO. If you couldn;t afford a child without CB then you shouldn't be having kids.

I've just applied for child benefit in The Netherlands - it's a lower value than UK. Seriously, if I needed this money, then I couldn't afford to have a child. I did my sums without this money.

We shouldn't need child benefit, it should be a safety net. If the majority of working citizens in a country cannot survive without state benefits then the country is clearly on it's knees.

Market forces will change that, there should be no need for unions, if the workforce don't like the pay and conditions then they go elsewhere, whether that be to a different job or a different country.

"Market forces will change that, there should be no need for unions, if the workforce don't like the pay and conditions then they go elsewhere, whether that be to a different job or a different country."

LOL.

"Market forces will change that, there should be no need for unions, if the workforce don't like the pay and conditions then they go elsewhere, whether that be to a different job or a different country."

Are these the same market forces that created the banking shit storm? I'm not convinced market forces can be trusted. Are you suggesting that if we don't like it we can emigrate?

The problem with means testing is that it's a bureaucratic nightmare with the associated costs. How many people on here get in a muddle with the tax credits and child tax credit forms? Plenty of people get the wrong amounts, it also assumes you earn the same amount month in month out which leaves no room for profit related pay and incentivisation in the workplace. Why do overtime if you will lose a percentage of your tax credits? Why does it matter to you if the company makes a profit if you don't see any of that profit.

Riven if you claim child benefit you get home responsibilities protection for those years which means you don't have to pay national insurance in those years but can still claim state pension for them. It acknowledges that you are not working, you're not working for a rason - ie to bring up kids. I think.

well if people shouldn't have children if they need the CB to help them get through the month then that means the OP and other middle income earners shouldn't have had children either.....as according to the OP on 45k a year they still need that CB...........

Riven's right, used to be called child allowance IIRC.

It was definitely said after the election that CB would be frozen for 3 years. Nothing new there.

I have looked up about history of child benefit - might have posted about it at some point in the last year or so. I do remember it used to be called Family Allowance which does suggest tax break type thing.

Yes, have just googled, was a child tax allowance and a taxable benefit till 1977 when it was changed. They looked at taxing it in 1998 and decided not to.
www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/rp98/rp98-079.pdf if you really want detail!

"Market forces will change that, there should be no need for unions, if the workforce don't like the pay and conditions then they go elsewhere, whether that be to a different job or a different country."

Best laugh I've had all day. Cheer Alouiseg!

If £20 a week makes that much difference in your budget and you are earning over 30k year then you should be complaining about paying too much tax, not about getting too few benefits.

When I worked I would change companies for a salary raise or better prospects or benefits. If dh couldn't work here we would end up abroad as a significant number of my friends here have done recently. Ypu go where the work is.

I've been to more leaving parties this last 18 months than ever before. Saudi, Dubai, Singapore 2, Australia, America 3. Which tells me that these people are taking their significant skills elsewhere. At the same time they are paying a significant amount of tax into another economy.

Why should the Govt pay out for people to spew out endless streams of children? Yes you can argue there's a right to a family (except if you're infertile - we've already had the bashing of those peoples threads on here because hey ho they're fair game)... but I'm sorry - if you're having 4,5,6 kids... you should be in a position to pick up the costs yourself or cross yer blooming legs.

I'd like to see it restricted to the first 2 children per mother (I nearly put "in a family" but then we'd have them playing musical fathers and trying to be defined as a new family for benefit purposes).

Alouiseg, what about Teachers? Doctors? Firemen? Or do we not need them now?

Did you take maternity leave at all?

Sorry but I think it's a little harsh to those who earn £45k who say they need their CB payment. You can't say they shouldn't have children when there are vast number of people who don't work at all and get all sorts of benefits which without they wouldn't be able to have any children!? should all of these people stop having children?

I'm not saying I'm against CB being stopped for middle earners but they shouldn't have to pay so much tax then as they are getting screwed from every angle.
If you're going to means test it then it should be on household income and not the claimant as 2 people who earn £25k pay less than than someone who earns £50k so they should not get CB just because one claims. IMHO

that's ok tethers - the schools would keep going, the nurses would still be here, all the menail jobs would be done......as funnily enough they can't afford to move to another country......

I don't like the idea of restricting it per number of children - feels to much like China's one child per family policy - where 10000's of children are aborted each year because they're the "wrong" sex, or because it would take them over their one child limit. Not to mention those that "carefully" plan 2 children - and end up with twins (or even triplets) when they concieve number 2....

I'm another one of those middle income families (similar earnings to cupcake) who would be hit hard if cb stopped - unbelivable i know if you don't live here, but cost of living in the SE is pretty bloody hefty. If we relocated to the NW where my Dh's family all live, we would be considerably better off

toccatanfudge, no one is saying they can't have more than 2 but they won't get extra CB for the number above 2!

As far as bus passes for those under pension age goes, means testing those would be interesting.

Most councils only allow people receiving care to keep basic rate of IS + 25% (which is less than that person might get from IS alone).

That means that there are a large number of people not on means tested benefits, but having to contribute a large amount of their income to SS.