AIBU to claim child benefit?

[tooposhtopost]

This morning, I heard a minister being interviewed (didn't catch who) saying that he hoped that 40% tax payers would "do the right thing" and stop claiming child benefit.

The top earners already pay 50% tax, get no tax relief on our pension contributions and often do not overburden the state (eg private education for the DC, private healthcare).

I have always claimed CB - well, it arrives by direct debit. I have seen it as a tiny weeny small rebate of tax in recognition of the fact that we have the extra cost of having children who will be the ones supporting all of us when we get old. So should I be disclaiming it?

Who else would like to know if any government ministers (or their wives) claim CB or whether they are leading by example and eschewing it?

I am with you on that one Child benefit is the one thing we are entitled to claim

and OH yes I would love to know if they are leading by example.

'not overburden the state (eg private education for the DC, private healthcare).' oh do fuck off

We would be among the people who will just sneak through the 40% tax bracket (my husband pays 40% on about £200/year). I earn a pittance (£10,000 in a good year). Luckily, by 2014 at least 2 of our 4 will be too old to be eligible anyway, and the 3rd will be 17. So in fact we will only lose cb for the fourth and it won't be such a big gap. At the moment cb pays for shoes and music lessons and pocket money and the baby's trust fund and our sponsored Malawian child, none of which we could really afford from our household expenses.

"At the moment cb pays for shoes and music lessons and pocket money and the baby's trust fund and our sponsored Malawian child, none of which we could really afford from our household expenses."

Would you like to come to my house and add it all up, Valhalla?

"rebate of tax in recognition of the fact that we have the extra cost of having children who will be the ones supporting all of us when we get old"

Are you suggesting that your children are going to be better than those who's parents earn less than you? I hope I have misinterpreted that.

Op. YANBU.

No I think she meant that all our children will be supporting all current adults, from whatever income bracket.

Jeez, has everybody got their peeved switch on today?

This thread is a scream!

"At the moment cb pays for shoes and music lessons and pocket money and the baby's trust fund and our sponsored Malawian child, none of which we could really afford from our household expenses."

Mine pays for FOOD.

Thats why some need it , some don't.

double snort from me

"At the moment cb pays for shoes and music lessons and pocket money and the baby's trust fund and our sponsored Malawian child, none of which we could really afford from our household expenses."

Are you for real? Try raiding your kids piggy bank on a Monday morning to put petrol in the car to get to school.

I don't begrudge you what you earn but those things are luxaries, not nesseccities and the government should not be subsudising you for them .

"At the moment cb pays for shoes and music lessons and pocket money and the baby's trust fund and our sponsored Malawian child, none of which we could really afford from our household expenses."

I raise you a triple snort.

Like Totorus, ours goes on food.

will no one think of the Malawian children?

We elect a government and trust them to produce a fair tax and benefits system with which we then all abide. If we don't like it, we change the government.

But if you ask individuals to voluntarily disclaim benefits that the government have given them, then by the same logic you should expect them to voluntarily pay more tax, too. This would seem to be a crazy way to run a country....leaving individual benefits and tax decisions down to individual consciences. If the govt don't want a certain section to receive CB then they should pass a law saying so rather than provide a universal benefit in the "hope" that certain people don't claim it.

Sorry OP I just dont get you reasoning.

If your rich enough to send your DCs to private school, child benefit is a mere drop in the ocean surely.

And do more privileged children really end up 'supporting' their parents who have had realtively privileged lives? Do such children end up working as care assistants paid and unpaid?

Lonnie: why are we 'entitled' to CB? Surely thats like saying 'its my right to have a child'? Right is not to confused with privilege.

But yes, lets know which MPs are claimig CB.

-baby's trust fund: this was instituted to give all children a nest egg when they were 18. The idea is that all parents would be tucking some more away every month. I pay £20/month into the baby's. This is not enough if it's going to even get close to paying her university fees.

-shoes: do you not buy them for your children? It's a little foible of mine to buy them a new pair of school shoes each year at about £45/pair.

-Malawian sponsored child- you try telling Felix that being sponsored is a "luxury". He didn't even go to primary school until he was 11 because his parents were too poor to send him, and is now in grade 5, 4.5 years later. Just to put it into context slightly.

-Music lessons- we're talking about one child who's actually rather good at her instrument in a county with no music service. WWYD?

Again, anybody is welcome to come and pick over our accounts if they want. Our council tax alone is 10% of our net income, gas for heating about 15%.

We will lose it as I pay higher rate,and to be honest it does go towards what some would consider luxuries (well, actually they are luxuries, even I can't pretend that horses are essential!) To my shame I don't sponsor any Malawian children.

I feel rather mixed about it to be honest. I know rationally that it's fair enough and we'll hardly be on the breadline as a result, but another part of me thinks it's a bit much that they are taking it away from the people who already pay more into the pot.

In particular, because we are bringing up our grandchildren (long story) and thus saving the state a fortune I do feel a bit aggrieved at the loss of the only contribution we get towards the cost.

I have to say I do claim child benefits because they are there, but I think it's a good idea to stop giving them to higher rate tax payers. We really don't need the benefits, they make far less difference to us than they would to someone else. It seems weird to me to give up the benefits voluntarily but I have no objection to them being stopped for the likes of us. Sure they are nice, but is it really the best use of the precious public purse?

this is news long overdue.the rich shouldn't be getting CB.Yabu.

Music lesson and trust fund. You must be fecking joking.

CHILD TRUST FUND!!! Every child born between 2003 and 2011 has one.

Thank you Toto and CO. I glad some on here have the nous to work out why I was

The man in my life has a daughter (now at Uni but until a year ago a CB recipient). He has an income well in excess of the upper tax level, a house worth half a million which is bought and paid for, not on a mortgage, goes on holiday to the US and Bahamas etc, has a couple of very expensive hobbies, likes a decent glass of wine and generally enjoys a good life. He's the first to admit that he didn't need CB and that if it were down to him rather than his wife he wouldn't accept it. His brother, the deputy secretary to a very well known international bank, is the second to say it.

Conversely, I know of several parents who spend their CB on FOOD and who don't have the luxury of putting that bottle of wine into the shopping trolley because it's that or their children's dinner.

Spending CB on trust funds, pocket money and music lessons? Don't make me laugh!

And sponsoring a child is very commendable, but remember that there are children in your own town who would go without essentials were it not for Child Benefit.

My council tax is about the same as yours, duchesse and my heating likewise, if not higher. I'm not in the top tax bracket -far from it - and whilst I don't begrudge those who are (wouldn't be involved with the man I am if so!) I have no sympathy for their crocodile tears about their "need" for CB.

I use my CB to pay the cleaner who might be left unemployed if I didn't use my CB that way. Is that wrong? Would it be better if I sacked her?

In France, they made domestic help tax DEDUCTIBLE to encourage the creation of more jobs. This would be a better policy than tinkering around with CB which would leave a system that was expensive to administer - it might well save no money by taking CB away from the rich as then there would be the administration involved in means testing, just to satisfy the unedifying covetedness of those with less. Let's address the poor properly, with policies that actually BENEFIT them rather than simply pandering to their knee jerk envy of those with higher earning power.

Duchesse: thank you, yes, that is exactly what I meant: all our children will grow up to be those earning the money and paying the taxes to support our generation when we are old.

I am still not clear if other posters are saying that 40% taxpayers should write and ask not to receive CB any more????

If you don't need it - don't claim it.