To think that too many people rely on Tax Credits?

[workhardplayhard]

Reading many of the threads on Mumsnet it seems that a large proportion of contributors rely on Tax Credits to top up their incomes.

I don't know anyone who claims Tax Credits IRL but if I did I don't think it would change my opinion - I think people should be fully responsible for providing for their own offspring without any benefits.

I have stated on a previous thread that I DO believe that people should get some assistance if their circumstances change ( Redundancy/Ill Health) but only for a set period.

I don't think the government should pay for people to have multiple children that they can ill afford to provide for.

I would be interested to hear other views.

benefit advice

fellatio, its not that simple. the man isnt always walking away from his responsibilities but if a couple splits up he now has to pay for his own house/room to rent. he has less to give to his ex and the children as he is now helping to run 2 homes. when a couple splits up it neg affects everyones life mums, dads and childrens.

Yes I know that in theory NM, but it has been allowed to be taken too far, with allowances for those circumstances being too generous. Renting a room is one thing, but how many men who previously had a mortgage on a decent family home actually just rent a room? That's waht they should be doing, if it's all they can afford.

And as for setting up home (buying in some cases) or receiving HB so that you can start all over again having kids with another woman, whilst the government is forking out so that your ex wife and kids needn't suffer?

I am very surprised by the posts on here, I really expected more people to come on and agree with the OP and I feel v ashamed of myself for making that assumption.

It makes me so mad that a small number of people who abuse the system, give the rest of us hard working low paid honest people a bad name.

For all of you rich, stuck up, ignorant, idiots, your lives would be a lot harder if it wasn't for us, shop assistants, shelf stacker's, cleaners, waiters and waitresses, bar maids, nursery workers etc etc. "unskilled manual workers" We all work hard too.

Don't anyone of you try to belittle my DP and the work he does, he works hard to provide all that he can for his family. He arrives to work on time, very rarely has a lunch break, he's honest and reliable and the company he works for are lucky to have him. He's polite and well mannered to all you ignorant lot that come into his place of work and look down your nose at him, yet he still smiles and provides you with the best service that he can and always goes above and beyond what is expected of him so that his customers go away happy. He takes pride in his work and making sure that he works to the best of his ability.

Don't you dare try to make us feel bad for claiming benefit that we have no other choice but to claim because my DP is paid so poorly.

If any one of you has a problem with this then please feel free to provide my DP with a job that pays him a minimum of £12 an hour so we then don't have to offend you by claiming Tax Credits!!!!!

so you would argue that a man whol leaves his wife should give all his cash to his ex so she needent claim anything? he cant afford to live anywhere now gives up his job as he cant afford to live himself. now he gets fully paid for by the gov, she gets fully paid for as she cant get money off the ex. they both end up depressed and cost nhs more. how is that better?

men who have a decent mortgage lose that and the house when they walk out, they still have to pay ex wife to live in her "family home" so as not to "disrupt kids family life".

if hes paying for her to live there he should get hb for his one bed flat or room if most of his wages go on the children, how else would he manage? hed only be entitled to help with a room or a one bed anyway.

so who loses for you? wife and kids or hubby? or both?

OP says:

"I don't know anyone who claims Tax Credits IRL but if I did I don't think it would change my opinion - I think people should be fully responsible for providing for their own offspring without any benefits."

Hmm.

Last week, my OH worked 7 days. He is likely to be working another 7 days this week, and maybe the next. In total, he worked for 75 hours last week. On Friday he left the house at 5.30am and got home at 9.00pm. (No commute)

We will be lucky to scrape £650 in his wage packet this week, despite the amount of hours he has done. He is working himself to the bone.

I also work (PT - 3 days), and the remaining days I look after my daughter (We could not afford additional childcare for me to go FT).

I had a budget of £40 for our food shopping this week, including nappies and toiletries. I managed to get it in at £41.15 (v v smug ). To raise more money to help pay the bills, I have also sold an old phone online and cashed in all of our 1 & 2p's. I've been filling in surveys online for 5p a time to add to the pot. I've cleared out the spare room and am going to Ebay alot of our stuff this weekend.

We still have a gas bill outstanding at £100, as well as rent of £750 to pay next week (amongst many others!).

The government gives us £10 per week in WTC.

OP - Do you think that we do enough to provide for our child?

Neither of us have ever claimed income support. We have both worked constantly since leaving school at 16. We are struggling at the moment due to the fact that almost all of our bills have increased, but our salaries have stayed the same (actually decreasing in value to to inflation).

Do you REALLY begrudge us £10 per week?!?!?!?!!!

Well said Emjxxx

We seem to haver lost the OP workhardplayhard come out come out where ever you are!

She's probably too busy trying to concoct some bizarre figures on how someone who is hard working, working fulltime with outgoings at the poverty-bare-minimum yet being paid £6 an hour can afford to live in some parts of the country.. without claiming any help from the government, or something, Em.

I'd love to see those figures, personally.

OP, if you can give us the maths, I'm happy to turn around with my hand on heart and say you were right!

.... you there?

Had a look at this at work at lunchtime. FRGR I thought your post was very enlightening. 400 (and sometimes much less) to feed a family of 5. You lot are clever - you pick me up on my Enlgish all the time. I don't know how you do it - I really don't. I think MNet could write and publish a book - not joking and the profits could be used to raise awareness or directed towards those who aren't as bloody creative with lack of funds.

I am sick of it...

I am going to have a bloody great big banner made that says 'I claim tax credits and I'm proud of it'

I had someone at work bemoaning their lot -DH off sick, they are working full time + overtime to pay bills and credit cards, etc. Moaning that they don't get half the tax credits I do.

Then when I said i have had 1 holiday in 7 years

'OMG there is NO WAY I would go without a holiday! NO WAY! Would rather be in debt - you are mental'

Nope not mental just sensible with the support I get and the bills come first every time, even then I still have to be creative.

My childcare bill is about a quarter of my income - how the hell do I pay it and live WITHOUT support?

We don't claim tax credits as we are lucky enough to have good jobs but I do think the system could be better - I would do away with income tax for low earners and raise slightly the higher rate tax (Both DH and I pay higher rate tax so I am not saying this lightly as it would affect us both directly).

I would also put free or heavily subsidised child care in place so parents can work without having to worry about how they will pay for childcare.

I think some of the negativity comes from the minority of people who abuse the system;
I had a girl work for me a few years ago who asked me if she could work half on half off the books so she could claim tax credits -guess what I said!. I also know of one family who's husband works part time in one job ( declared) then does shifts in a taxi ( undeclared) in order to ensure they maximise the amount of benefits they get. These are very much in the minority and is insulting to the people who are genuinely struggling and requiring assistance.

Just my 2p :)

Yes childcare is what cripples most. My wage if i were to go back wouldn't cover my childcare for my children!

DayShiftDorris

Good point! I cant remember last time we had holiday abroad. We are vey lucky that my uncle had us stay with him and feed us for a week in Devon. Grateful was a understatement!

Clothes... thats another one! I have so many of my mums hand me downs! Thank god shes a young trendy mum working in a place which keeps her more in the loop that I!

Again shoes...I have a pair of trainers for exercise, uggs that are now almost 2yrs old, brown leather boots that i have had since time began and a going out pair of shoes! Oh and wellies.

Going out with my hubby, it never happens.

Social activities are usually only weddings or a event that we have saved up for.

The children have swimming but thats the only one we can just about afford, even that iis expensive and I have to try and put some aaway in the lead up.

However all this is just normal to me, just like those with a good paid job. I get on with it because thats what you do. We struggle but we are happy.

I am fed up of this myth that those on tax credits get a luxury lifestyle. Far from it.

I think the system works strangely TBH. I CM for a couple who get (so she told me) £19,500 a month between them. Their childcare bill is £900 a month and she said she gets £800 of that paid by childcare tax credits.
Another couple across the road, take home pay between them is £14,500 their childcare bill is £600 and they get no help at all.

It seems very strange how they work things out

you may well be entitled to upto 80% of your childcare costs if on a low income. It is worth checking the calculators on the martin lewis site to see what help is available.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/childcare-costs

In the past I was never entitled to it. Doesn't help that the job I trained in is shift hours starting from 5.30am, 2pm or midnight.
Hubby also does shifts too and we have no family near not working full time themselves to help.

I am working on something new so once dc3 is at school I'm hoping to have my foot in the door and go all guns blazing
I'm 8 years younger than DH and at present we have no pension set up which worries me hugely.

I am looking forward to getting a career once my baby is in nursery/school

Saltire i think those figures must be wrong as you would get nothing if you were on £19,500 per month.

But the couple who dont qualify probably dont both work at least 16 hours a week each. You wont get the childcare element say if one parent works full time and the other under 16 hours but they could both work 16 hours and get it.

That is what is stupid about the system as to my mind it encourages people who work fulltime to cut their hours and top them up with extra credits.
I personally know people who have played the system this way so it does happen.

saltire for the wages and the system!

Cantspel, I have a friend who does this. Her DH works part time instead of full time, which he was offered and turned down (which shouldnt be allowed if they are claiming imo, but thats another thread) and they are topped up with TC and they were happy with that, thought they had the best of all worlds.....

Until I pointed out that actually if you work 30 hours a week or more, you are better off as the allowances are slightly higher to try and encourage full time working. Needless to say, they are currently rethinking their attitude to the whole thing. I know this because at one point there was a worry that DP might have his hours forcibly reduced and it would have affected us very badly.

Mind you we are talking about 2 people who lived the most amazingly privilidged lives at their parents expense for years and to whom real life has come as something of a shock :o

Theres no way my DH would go part time. Man pride and all that!

MadMissy, neither would mine!

When there was a risk of it, as I mentioned before, he was looking for another part time job to do alongside it. He would never choose PT over FT.

Saltire, surely she meant £19K per annum?! They'd be entitled to nothing otherwise. And if it's true, they'd be paying a nanny?! (Not that you're not great, but..)

dh is estatic he is finally well enough to work full time.

Sorry it was a typo. The couple I cm for get £1950 a month.