Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think we should all be doing our bit.

47 replies

TotsDaddy · 05/10/2010 21:11

As I'm now doing my bit to the tune of an extra £2500 per year, I had a look at some of the other universal benefits that us high rate tax payers might be eligible for. My eye came across the state pension, winter fuel allowances and free TV licences for the over 75. I know quite a few OAPs with pensions far in excess of my income (you have to move in the right circles to hope some of it rubs off), so why do they need these? As Dave said, "We all need to do our bit".

In the mean time, I'm off to gift aid what's left of the CB, after all, there's only so much wine you can buy at Waitrose and will be working our what jobs I can employ my 3DCs doing to repay their trust funds out of untaxed income Grin

OP posts:
dreamingofsun · 05/10/2010 21:54

agree that winter fuel and tv licences should go for better off oap's. don't think pensions should though - people have saved into these for their retirement via national insurance. hopefully these are one of next things.

would seem unfair to chop CB and leave oap's alone. i also think they should chop the money they give to some children in the sixth form - some of my son's friends get 30 a week. seems silly to give this out and then make them pay thousands to go to uni

usualsuspect · 05/10/2010 21:58

Yes stop the ema so fewer kids go into higher education Hmm

MaMoTTaT · 05/10/2010 22:07

well according to \link{http://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/over-75s-lose-thousands-spending-review\here} the elderly are already going to be doing their bit - quite substantially.

Alouiseg · 05/10/2010 22:12

Wouldn't it be infinitely more sensible to get the money back from the reckless twats that dumped us in this mess in the first place?

The labour party and the bailed out banks could be sued then Gordon Brown could be had for treason.

Mumcentreplus · 05/10/2010 22:12

I dont agree..oldies paid in..they should get out..ffs I was sooo looking forward to my free-pass and free t.v license...all those years I paid for crap I don't watch and now I may not get any freeness..Angry

DuelingFanjo · 05/10/2010 22:14

Welcome back to mumsnet.

angelberry · 05/10/2010 22:23

When I was at college there was no EMA. Me and my friends were all from low income families, and we got part time jobs. I really don't see the need for it.

Mumcentreplus · 05/10/2010 23:31

Yeaah..back in the day my mum worked for 8 quid a week...and she made more than her mother!!..facts are times move on..when I was at college there was no ema but lucklily my parents were poor enough for me to get a grant...lets stop ema so young poor people cant get an education..Hmm

MaMoTTaT · 06/10/2010 00:10

" we got part time jobs."

that was then - this is now - when highly educated people, people with years of experience in their roles (whether that's management or cleaning) are struggling to find work.

TheLadyEvenstar · 06/10/2010 00:23

Thing is with the EMA,young people today have a very differnt attitude to life. And this is just my honest opinion.

Many years ago we had the YTS - youth training scheme for those too young to remember, where young people who did not or could not further their studies learnt a trade while on the job, so to speak.

Previous government scrapped this and so our young people were faced with 2 options - continue studying or go into a low paid unskilled job.

Then lets look at the reasons some wouldn't want to do either.

There are so many gadgets and name brands around now that our young people are quite often spoilt as children because as parents we provide them with far too much in many instances.

So faced with their choices they either continue with education and get £30 a week which they can then learn to save/budget

or go into unskilled work where they will easily tire of it and become mischevious and lose their jobs.

This is where things get dangerous - "I want a new mobile, i don't have the money, no income but i want what everyone else has"

So here is where i believe crime begins with our youngsters today. IYSWIM??

Anyway I don't see what withdrawing the EMA will acheive as at least this way our youngsters are more likely to make something of themselves rather than turn to crime.

dreamingofsun · 06/10/2010 09:30

why can't they get a PT job? My son is earning £50 a week. He doesn't get EMA as we earn too much and there's no way we can justify giving him £30 a week - we are too busy saving for his college period where he will get no help at all from the gov.

working for the cash is better for him anyway than getting handouts from the gov. ema teaches children to expect handouts and is also divisive.

Original poster
TotsDaddy · 06/10/2010 09:39

I'd not heard of EMA, but a bit of research seems to show that it's means tested, so I'd have no problem with it. It's universal benefits that are the issue.

If a family with an income of £44K don't need CB, I don't understand why someone with a private/company pension of £44K needs their state pension / winter fuel allowance etc.
The answer is, that children are an easy target, and don't have the vote.

I shall be discussing this with all of my millionaire, retired, but Guardian reading friends during our annual trip to Meribel this winter, probably in quite loud voice, on a chair lift next to you.....

OP posts:
MaMoTTaT · 06/10/2010 09:43

"why can't they get a part time job"

because there aren't many part time jobs out there - and the competition for them is stiff

I know several, smart, capable youngsters who were looking for work before the summer holidays - have broken up/finished uni/college (they're all my fabbby babysitters Grin), and they all struggled to find work. In fact 2 of them didn't manange to find anything at all.

MaMoTTaT · 06/10/2010 09:45

TotsDaddy - did you read the link I posted - they will be hit hard as well - maybe not in "pure" monetary terms, but in terms of services being cut.

GypsyMoth · 06/10/2010 09:46

my dd gets EMA now,and its a bloody pain!!

i used to use her pocket money as a form of discipline.....only one which worked really. i'd cut it or stop it for bad behaviour....and because she loves her fashion/make up etc,the threat of it being stopped worked

now she doesnt need the money from me,she can do as she likes (she thinks!)cos the EMA is there faithfully every friday.

QueenOfProcrastination · 06/10/2010 09:52

I work in a school in an area of a lot of low-income families. EMA is essential for many of our students as parents expect / need children to contribute to their "keep" as soon as they are able to. Whether this is right or wrong is beside the point for our students, it is simply the way things are.

EMA has directly enabled some of my most able students to continue into further education, some of whom are now at university; something that would have been impossible if EMA hadn't bridged the finance gap between full time compulsory education and the loans, etc, available for university students.

I don't mind the idea of all "doing our bit" however fairness and clarity of changes is essential. The changes to CB in terms of single earner / dual income families on higher tax brackets are not fair, and not a single politician has, thus far, been able to clearly explain and justify this particular inequality.

GypsyMoth · 06/10/2010 09:54

should i take some off her for her 'keep'...is that what other parents do? has never occurred to me,and she'd fight me on that anyway.....i have no right to have some surely?

MaMoTTaT · 06/10/2010 09:57

you don't have to.

But sadly many famlies do need their older working (part time, even still at school/college) children to contribute.

expatinscotland · 06/10/2010 09:59

WFA and free bus passes only because of one's age should definitely go.

TheLadyEvenstar · 06/10/2010 10:02

You see I would take say £5 a week, she would still be left with £25 just to teach her about contributing. Even if she didn't like it, one day she will have to do it for herself....you will only be teaching your DD an important lesson.

MaMoTTaT · 06/10/2010 10:06

TLE - makes a good point. I think it's a good lesson for them. If she's old/mature enough to hold down a part time job she's old/mature enough (imo) to learn the concept of money you earn having to pay for you to live.

It doesnt have to be a lot - like TLE - even £5 will be something and an important lesson.

MaudOHara · 06/10/2010 10:07

TLE makes a good point about teaching your DD an important lesson - not sure she would see it that way though.

TheLadyEvenstar · 06/10/2010 10:12

Of course the youngsters won't/don't see it that way but it is our job to prepare them for the real world.

Now most get free travel,food provided from home etc and then on a Friday get their EMA. Ok so likelihood is they spend it on clothes, and things they want as soon as they get it. So taking £5/£10 a week away helps them to understand that money has to be budgeted.

Original poster
TotsDaddy · 06/10/2010 10:12

MaMoTTaT , I did read the link, but it seemed to support your case. Note 2 claims that:

-64-75 year old households will lose £2,000

-under 65 with children will lose £3,700

-under 65 without children will lose £2,000

... worth of public services per year by 2014-15

Am I missing something?

OP posts:
dreamingofsun · 06/10/2010 10:33

if EMA is so necessary for people to carry on their eduation then surely it would be better off going straight to the parents so the students don't fritter it away on drink etc?

there are jobs around here - but maybe thats because we live in the south.