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.

The reduction will be to compensate for the increase in the personal allowance. It is so that only basic rate tax payers benefit, and HRT payers will have that threshold reduced so that they get no benefit from the larger personal allowance.

iskra - why odd? We all have different circumstances and commitments.

Riven, we will probably lose it because my DH will probably be (only) just above the 44k threshold.

We do run a car and have new clothes and shoes (when we need them, not luxuries IMO), but we have cheapy holidays, usually staying with relatives and use Tesco vouchers to fund days & meals out when we're away. Going out for lunch and takeways otherwise for us is a no-no.

There's loads I'd like to do in our house, not least replace some of our smelly carpets but we just can't afford it. We live in one of the most expensive parts of the country.

We will soon have 4 children and 44k is not alot to live on where we are.

We will just scrape by without the CB, but we are by no means well off and when VAT goes up we will have higher bills too.

yes, that's exactly my point.

We will lose it. I am annoyed, but I guess we don't need it, in the sense that we don't use it to buy food. But it is the only money I have coming into my own account and I use it to pay for clothes, shoes and activities for the kids. DH earns just over the 40% tax threshold and all his money goes on mortgage, bills, food, his ridiculous train fare to London and a loan we took out to get our (second hand, not flash) car. There is very little left at the end of the month, we don't do foreign holidays or save. But we do have enough to live on.

If it was being implemented fairly I would suck it up and say ok I guess we are well off in comparison to lots of people. But the fact that it is not fair, that we will be penalised but a couple with a joint income of 80k could still get the benefit is just not on. It's basically SAHMs who will suffer.

By the way I said something similar on a Guardian article comments thread and got branded a yummy mummy! Bloody lefties and I used to think I was one! (a leftie that is, not a yummy mummy...)

If they are going to do it, the least they can do is to do it fairly. Purely basing it on the higher rate tax payers and not on household income is unfair and ridiculous.

We would lose out either way, so it's not a purely personal viewpoint.

Someone needs to collar George

It's the unfairness that has so enraged me.

I earn in my ft job, less than the higher tax threshold. DH is ft SAHD with our 1 year old twin DSs. I do extra free lance work in eves and holidays to earn a bit more for the family. This will take us over the threshold and we'll lose our CB. We'll lose it because I work extra for a few thousand, and because I declare it on my tax form.

Time to work less hard?

Fucking tories.

I agree Riven

I don't think the 1 earner v a couple is barking at all as it protects those of us earning piddling 2nd wages(mostly mums whose careers are up shit creek due to having dc). If it was joint I'd have to give up work.

What is ludicrous is the Tories not going for the 50% bracket.

We'd loose best part of £200 which would actually be catastrophic to us.

Either way we're fucked as dp now won't be able to do any overtime and if he gets a tiny payrise(he's owed one due to promotion and pay freezes) we'll be no better off,could actually be worse.

Sorry 44K is not a lot of money if you live in an expensive area and have a stonking great mortgage for a teeny house.

I was described by GO on Radio 4 this morning as the 'super-rich' because I fell into the higher rate tax payer bracket.

Wish he'd tell my bank manager.

Milamae we're in the same position.
Fucking sucks, doesn't it.
Shit weasels.

I'm glad I found this thread. I am feeling better already.

It's all so crap,just waiting for the married tax allowance thing next(we're not married) then I might just implode with the unfairness of it all.

But hey my parents who enjoy 5 very nice holidays a year,are mortgage free,enjoy 2 stonking great pensions and use their WFA as pin money are ok so one mustn't be bitter

But the SAHM thing is a bit of a red herring. I have chosen to be a SAHM and some people don't have the choice to stay at home with a higher rate tax payer's salary, even one of them. But I do agree that people with no choice but to have one income, eg single parents or those who need to be a full time carer are being unfairly treated. The thing is, I don't believe it is the government's responsibilty to fund my choice over another's. My choice has a consequence for us, although not as big as it would have been if dh hadn't been fortunate enough to be good at something that earns a pretty good salary. If he'd been good at something else equally worthwhile we might not be in our position. It's our responsibilty to pay taxes to support people who earn less for whatever reason.

Little you're speaking as somebody very comfortably off,believe me if you were somebody for whom £200 was a big deal you wouldn't be so blase.

And yes £44K is not a lot in some areas but it's more than less than £44k in those areas IYSWIM. There must be plenty who live in expensive areas on less - we were one such family until DH's promotion. So that should make those bemoaning their income spare a thought for how hard it is on less.

I think we should all suggest that MNHQ invites George on for a little chat, don't you? Like you say, Riven - that would be worth seeing...

There'a a big difference between someone just into the higher tax bracket and someone well into it. On the Today programme GO sid the average HR taxpayers salary was over 70K.

Why not taper it?
Why not use joint salary?

We earn less than you, little. If you PM me I'll give you my address and you can send a cheque