to think the CB abolition has had an effect a bit like kicking an ants' nest

[OrmRenewed]

on MN

And the calls for 'someone else' ie the elderly, to have their benefits cut have started already.

I have very little nice to say about the Tories but if they have to make cuts, I'd rather CB went than see cuts in other areas. It seems a reasonable place to start.

I can see why they want to do it this way, instead of going down the labrythine complications of full means-testing like tax credits. It does seem a bit unfair though - although I guess in the same way that those on benefits get their council tax paid and those on low wages don't (is that right - may not even be a good example) is unfair, but ultimately simpler to administer.

I must adminit that it find it quite hard to sympathis when the average income is somthing like £20,000 .

Perhaps it would be better to remove all CB for children over the age of 16 which was the other suggestion.

Where do you live? Do you live in a house? (Serious question as I live in a pokey little flat and can't afford any holidays)

Don't mind losing CB but have to question where the saving will go. Feel the cuts are more Tory ideology and the 'pay back the debt' idea is just a tool to persuade us to accept it....especially re previous post about Vodafone tax bill! Surely if you make too many cuts you reduce the amount people have to spend and so could end up making the situation worse - less VAT etc for the Govt.

I think I'll be forced into work because of this and so have to hand my LO over to mum if she'll have her. Also it will destroy the breastfeeding ambitions I had for my next children.

I started a family on the knowledge that I could stay at home with them and not miss out on their first word, first step, etc.

Oh my goodness! So we'll still get CB because I don't have income of my own? Now I'm cross. Bizarrely really because it puts us back in the bracket where we could claim. Is it not like child tax credits where it's assessed on household income?

Orm - I really think that would have worked better. Much simpler to administer and then you are not removing anything from families with pre-school aged children who are already struggling with big childcare bills.

littlebylittle - if either or both of you pay higher rate tax, then you will lose CB.

Probably but all in all it seems fairer to take money from those who have a reasonable regular income, than those who are unable to work. And much much better than cutting school or health budgets.

"If we doubled our income to 44K we'd be rolling in it."

Describe "rolling in it"

I don't have a problem with means testing child benefit as such. what I do have a problem with is the way they are doing it which appears to be unfair. If they are to means test it it should be on total household income and yes I would include maintenance payments in that.

The way I understand it just now is a couple where only one partner works but earns 44K will lose it but when 2 partners work and earn 43k each (ie 86K they will still get it. even when you take into account child care costs it doesn't seem fair to me. Then a single parent earning 44K will lose it even though they would have the same childcare issues as the couple where both work.

'A: She earns 15k, he earns £45k, household income of £60k. No CB.

B: both earning £43k, household income £86k, will receive CB.

C: Single parent earning £44k. No CB'

Is that really true? That's crazy and terribly unfair.

Though I can't understand, if the Tories are all about saving money and reducing the deficit (and this will save £1billion a year, and the Country's in such a bad way) why they are waiting until 2013 to do it. I think whoever posted earlier about his more being about Tory ideology than money saving could just be on to something there.

I know there are people much worse off that us but damn anyway

I am SAHP at present as if I go back to work (doctor) childcare for such unsocial hours is more than I bring home. DH is in 40% tax bracket (another doctor) and our take home for the whole family is approx 3000 of which almost half goes on rent and several hundred a month go on educational stuff we have to do to keep on the GMC register (I know its not the done thing on MN to give numbers but otherwise if I say dr - all the daily mail readers will think we are rolling in it).

I have been squirrelling away the CB each month in a pathetic hope that one day we will be able to afford a little house rather than renting - I guess thats out of the window then!

Riven it wouldn't work out as double take home though. If it all went on your DH's salary, then he would pay tax at 23% on it all, and you would lose pretty much all TCs (no idea how much you get but you must get some?).

Riven my total household income is 43K (DH earns, I'm a SAHM) and we cannot afford a holiday, all clothes come from eBay or Primark, we can barely afford takeaways and we live in a pokey flat in a communal building.

What's weird is never looking beyond the money. No-one looks at net income rather than gross, no-one looks at the hours put in to get the higher salary, or the professional debt accumulated - it's almost like 'bloody higher earners, on their butts, spilling gold from their pockets'. I think that's why people get so irate about it, because achieving a higher salary usually menas not picking the kids up from school, not getting in at 5pm etc etc. Just trying to explain maybe why feelings get so heated?

Oh, okay, we'll lose it then! Fair but smarts again. Stick a metaphorical plaster on it and count blessings.

Riven we hope that DH will have progressed a little in 3 years time. Just a little though.

other people's finances are so odd. We are on about £20,000 - 2 adults 1 child, we live in London zone 2.