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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

257 replies

OrmRenewed · 04/10/2010 14:14

on MN Grin

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.

OP posts:
PutTheKettleOn · 04/10/2010 17:34

But I didn't make the choice to be a SAHM - once I found out DD2 was on the way it was a no-brainer as childcare for 2 would be pretty much all my salary. I would love to go back to work part time, as I did after DD1 was born, but it's just not an option.

As a result our joint income now is significantly less than before we had kids, though our outgoings are higher. But I still wouldn't have such a problem with this if it was fair and based on household income, not just one person's tax band.

MilaMae · 04/10/2010 17:34

Right Little that makes me feel so much better-not Hmm

I repeat it's very easy to be so charitable when one is comfortably off.

If you had money taken away that actually really hurt your family I doubt you'd be so blase about it all.

CardyMow · 04/10/2010 17:35

But £40K even with a SAHP IS a fucking lot of money! I live in the SE, in a town where lots of people commute to London. We have 3 (soon to be 4) dc. DP works bloody hard, and brings home £16,000 pa. The only other choice the government had wrt Child benefit is to stop it for anyone over the age of 16yo. If you are in my situation, how the fuck would we feed our dc if they were still at school and unable to work FT? EVen if I went back to work PT when this baby is older (3yo, I'm looking at), I'll be lucky to get £6,500 pa. FUn days out? Saving Child benefit for a deposit for a house? heating the whole house all winter? Bloody luxuries. Why shouldn't ChB be means tested? The only thing I think they've got wrong is by not doing it based on HOUSEHOLD income.

BosomsByTheSea · 04/10/2010 17:37

I don't mind it being means tested.

I don't think it is fair the way it's been worked out.

We only have two children because we can't afford more.

MilaMae · 04/10/2010 17:40

It depends on what you pay on housing and what you have left at the end of each month. Once we've paid mortgage and bills we have £150 a month left(thats with CB). It is possible for people who earn less to have more in their pocket at the end of each month.

I don't think small earners should be forced to give up work(women need their own security however small) so I believe the 1 income is correct . However I think targeting the 50% bracket would have protected a lot of struggling families and there would be far less worried families tonight.

littlebylittle · 04/10/2010 17:40

I don't get it. Blase is the last thing I am. Grateful, yes. Able to see there are people worse off yes. But you don't really know anything about my home, size, cost etc. I just choose not to complain about my lot. Sorry to get cross. Time to exit.

MilaMae · 04/10/2010 17:42

Great for you Little,give yourself a medal.

I don't usually moan about my lot but I do when my family suffers-so shoot me Hmm

grumpypants · 04/10/2010 17:46

''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.''

I don't understand. DH is HR and I a earn tiny wage. When we lose the CB I may as well give up as I just cover petrol and childcare on my salary and CB combined.

You keep your job but I don't?

Thanks.

CardyMow · 04/10/2010 17:50

Sorry MilaMae, but I disagree that lower income earners are left with more over at the end of the month...Even with Tax Credits, we still have to pay our rent and council tax, and all our other outgoings just like you. Our dc do not go to out-of-school activities because we can no longer afford it. We are lucky to have money in the electricity meter by the end of the month. We would LOVE to have £150 left at the end of the month, even with Chb.

MilaMae · 04/10/2010 17:51

Not sure what you're talking about grumpy.

CardyMow · 04/10/2010 17:52

In fact, we'd like to have £15 left at the end of the month. It's not our fault that neither me nor DP is very qualified in anything at al, that we can't afford to go to colege to improve our qualifications, and local jobs don't pay much (if anything) over min wage, and as we can't afford a car (at all) we can't travel elsewhere to work.

DilysPrice · 04/10/2010 17:52

I may be out of date, but isn't this an easy thing to fix via the dreaded CTCs? If you're at the bottom end of the income band affected by this change then you'll be claiming CTCs so the state will already have all your household means testing details and the allowances can be tweaked accordingly - they've got years to do the sums.

CardyMow · 04/10/2010 17:54

@scuse the spelings, laptop is old and dying, and mising out leters al the time, I can spell realy, honestly

MilaMae · 04/10/2010 17:56

But you don't know what we spend on food,petrol and utilities to get that £150,it could be less than what you spend. My dp cycles to work(13 miles each way) to claw back some petrol money for a start.

What I'm saying is focusing on 44K is pointless. You need to look at what a families outgoings are which will vary dramatically.

Our mortgage is 3Xs what other people pay for a larger house in many areas.

LucyJones · 04/10/2010 17:58

Loudlass butbut but some would say if you'd stopped at two children you would have more money to save for a car so you could travel further for work or to pay to study for a qualufaication
it's what we did, I'd have loved to have had four kids but couldn't afford it....

sarah293 · 04/10/2010 17:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

CardyMow · 04/10/2010 17:59

I can asure you that the rents in my area are pretty horific, My mum's mortgage on her house 30 miles away is less than HALF the cost of my rent!

plus3 · 04/10/2010 18:01

but doesn't that suggest that you have extended yourself beyond your means to buy a house that you can't really afford??

It all just sounds alittle bit 'grabby' to worry about losing £150 a month when one person is earning in excess of £40k a year.

MilaMae · 04/10/2010 18:02

Yes Riven and that means we'll also be loosing our water capping as you need to have a benefit to claim for it.

When you add up all of this it's sooo much money and I'm at a loss to know exactly why we're being targeted so much.

sarah293 · 04/10/2010 18:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MilaMae · 04/10/2010 18:07

We had no choice rent is just as expensive,property is sky high here for a basic house. Also when the mortgage system went tits up mortgage prices went up.

We live within our means,we really do and are careful but CB counts and is what we based our budget on.We always thought it was a pretty safe income-ha bloody ha.

CardyMow · 04/10/2010 18:07

We earned more when I had dc3, and dc4 was a contraception failure surprise. We wouldn't be able to aford a car when we only had 2 dc, because we wouldn't have had the TC's...so 2 dc or 4, still no car because me and DP are such low earners. Is it our fault that min wage is the best we can expect for the jobs we are capable of geting? Should we not have any dc because we aren't capable of earning a living wage? Despite DP working his arse of, FT in a bloody shitty job that involves feeding the patients in our local hosital? people who work hard making that food earn minimum bloody wage. Working shifts that mean it's very difficult for me to work at the moment as we can't aford childcare (whether for one DC or 3/4).

VivaLeBeaver · 04/10/2010 18:08

I guess the thing to do if you're a SAHM or a mum earning below the 44k threshold but with a DP that does earn 44k+ is to;

not be married
not have his name on the birth certificate
have the mortgage in your name only

Then you could deny all knowledge of him and still get your CB. Grin

MilaMae · 04/10/2010 18:08

God knows Riven I'm number crunched out to be honest.

MilaMae · 04/10/2010 18:10

Aren't they going to be targeting us couples living in sin too at some point VivaConfused

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