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AIBU?

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Original poster

Bloody W**NKing Tax credits! Or Government should I say

513 replies

Hai1988 · 06/07/2011 16:59

Just had my new tax credits award and have just found out that my DH's Working tax credits are being stopped as he has already had his lot for this year, £800!!!

My DH does not have a very well payed job at all and after rent and bills we have f**K all left and the weekly income of £140 really helped that is now just over £50.

So angry We need that extra £80 a week, I know it may not sound much to some but it did make a big difference to out life's.

Who ever voted Tory I hope your happy with yourselves that now so many family's are probably gonna struggle now.

Sorry not really an aibu but really needed to vent and wondered if anyone else is suffering with tax credits this year because of the dam government.

OP posts:
DoesBuggerAll · 07/07/2011 12:33

We seem to have an awful lot of martyrs on this thread shouting about how they work full-time and how many sacrifices they make. What is this nonsense about? Why is the 5 day, 40 hour, non-school/child friendly working week the norm? Why? It would seem to me to be far more sensible for everyone to be able to work flexible hours. Please don't give ridiculous excuses about business not being able to afford it because it is nonsense. Very few jobs are unable to be worked part-time. Ask yourselves whether we exist to serve the needs of business or should business serve our needs.

The way you bunch of martyrs are carrying on you won't be happy until you've won the race to the bottom and we're all feudal serfs again. Why do so many of you feel that you have to do others down in order to 'win'. You are being used by our corporate dictators and too late will you discover just how much of your life has been stolen by the greed of capitalism. Whenever I read one of these threads I really think most of the country has lost the plot and forgotten what it means to be human. We are not units of economic activity, we are human beings.

niceguy2 · 07/07/2011 12:34

Either take my dcs to school and try desperately to build a happy family, or don't and watch my children suffer as the gap between us widens.

That has to be one of the poorest examples of justifying why someone should get state money I've seen.

So if you don't take your kids to school then there will be a gap in the family?? Really? How do all the other parents up & down the country whom both work cope? How did i cope in the early years when I was a single dad and both kids were in childminders/school club from 8am - 6pm?

I don't claim benefits and get only the family element of tax credits.
Erm....tax credits is a benefit.

Meerkat, I think you mistake the concept of having choices with having GOOD choices. Life sometimes means we don't have good choices to make. But they are still choices. The combination of income & tax credits you get means you have a choice not to work. That is a choice you made because the system has allowed it to happen (rightly or wrongly) at the expense of the taxpayer. I actually don't have a problem with your choice since you are taking money you are entitled to. What I do take exception to is the notion you don't have a choice, because you plainly do.

fgaaagh · 07/07/2011 12:50

DoesBuggerAll, I'm not sure your arguments (although interesting) will convince a poster's landlord, or bank manager, or local store manager of Asda, or the judge when we don't pay Council tax, of anything other than "interesting point, but let's get back to reality now".

However much I or any of the posters here agree with your points, it doesn't help me pay my bills or juggle childcare in practical terms.

TheSecondComing · 07/07/2011 12:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

microfight · 07/07/2011 13:03

Meerkat
I have a small business which is blue collar work but there are many enterprising ways to earn a bit of cash at ad hoc hours. Dog walking, house cleaning, personal training, starting up a kids rhyme and music class etc. Or offer a walking kids to school or home service, lots of ideas off the top of my head. If your kids are at school there no excuse to say I can't find work if the alternative is to spend other tax payers money, tax credits.

You could easily earn £100 a week and it would be tax free at that level of income.

microfight · 07/07/2011 13:07

doesbuggerall
One of the most fundamental instincts for a human is to survive and at a basic level that means doing whatever it takes to have basic needs of food water and a roof over you head.

We only survive as a society because some people work and pay taxes. If we all stayed at home and relied on tax credits there would be no tax credits for those that legitimately need them.

fedupofnamechanging · 07/07/2011 13:08

microfight, the govt defines what a fair living wage is and because not all companies pay it, they top up with tax credits. Take away the tax credits and the wage is not sufficient to support a SAHP and children. That to me is wrong. I dispute that companies can't afford it. Some would struggle I'm sure (and could maybe have their wages topped up as the system exists at the moment) but a lot of companies make vast profits, so ought to be covering their own wages bill.

If the OP and her DH were sitting on their arses all day with their hands out then I'd have no sympathy but her DH is working. Lots of very important jobs don't pay enough to live on and I don't think it's wrong to top up his wage with tax credits.

janey68 · 07/07/2011 13:21

Prettymeerkat- I wouldn't want to leave my child with strangers either. I don't know any working parents who do. I think you'll find we look carefully at potential childcarers and ensure a positive and caring relationship develops.

But of course, when you don't have to concern yourself with organising and paying for childcare, it must make you feel so superior to look down on us working mums and dads as somehow not reaching your perfect standard

microfight · 07/07/2011 13:26

Karmabeliever

What you need to think about is that there is a global market now for everything just about. The effect of companies on UK soil being told they have to pay more than the market rate will mean companies will move to other countries where they can pay less so it defeats the object. Less jobs more competition for jobs lower wages and the downward cycle begins.

Also, a company legally has an obligation to its share holders to be as profitable as possible, the share holders are in the main our pension fund companies trying to get the best returns for our pensions.

On the one hand you want companies to pay more than the market dictates and on the other people are constantly moaning "where's our manufacturing gone" or "why do I have to speak to someone in Delhi"

The net effect of increasing wages can only have a detrimental effect on us as a society.

We could of course close our borders, the government could give out jobs all paying roughly the same so there was some equity amongst our have's and have nots.....because that worked well for East Germany et al didn't it Hmm

Rocky12 · 07/07/2011 13:28

Having two children and working full time I get somewhat irriated of people who choose to have children, choose to stay at home, choose to not consider gaining additional qualifications to secure a better paid job and then claim benefits/tax credits or what ever for their choices.

itsybitsy08 · 07/07/2011 13:33

Janey - you mention these strangers who you leave your child with. These strangers will be on a very low wage and entitled to alot of tax credits (obviously taking into account circumstances eg lovely sandra who is a single parent with 3 of her own children, working her 30hrs in the nursery. Tax credit top ups of well over 100 pound a week). You seem outraged at the amount of tax credits someone on a low wage is entitled to and say that it is through choice and the solution is to get a better paid job.

You still have not answered which strangers would then look after your children.

Or who would empty your bins.
Or stock and serve your supermarket.
Or recycle all your shit.
Or keep your streets clean.
Or clean all the places you like to go.
I could go on.

And i would really like to know. I would.

microfight · 07/07/2011 13:33

Oh! and to add....
the effect of increasing wages in this country would effect the low paid jobs and the poor the most because many of those jobs can be outsourced abroad, I would even go so far as to say increasing wages would lead to mass unemployment for the poor/mid level in this country.
The higher paid specialist knowledge based jobs wouldn't be effected because likely they already pay over what the government would deem a basic wage for a family. Also we have strength in knowledge that other countries can't replicate ... at the moment!

microfight · 07/07/2011 13:36

itsy bitsy

Aren't all those jobs you mention done by illegal immigrants who "took our jobs" so there wouldn't be a problem would there? Grin

Cocoflower · 07/07/2011 13:42

Microflight

If we put the NMW up would living cost just go up anyway?

Ie supermarket workers get paid £10p/h so Tesco increases cost of food to meet this cost?

The bin man pay's increases so council tax increases?

So ultimatley there would be no gain anyway? I don't know the answer but am intrested...

janey68 · 07/07/2011 13:42

Itsybitsy- try reading the THREAD, not some imaginary version in your head. The op is not working in a low waged job being topped up by tax credits - she DOESN'T WANT TO GET A JOB BECAUSE SHE THINKS SHE SHOULD CARRY ON GETTING £560 A MONTH SO SHE CAN DO THE SCHOOL RUN!

fedupofnamechanging · 07/07/2011 13:42

microfight, we already have a situation where private companies outsource to cheaper countries (call centres in India for ex)and import foreign workers for short term work so they can get away with paying them less. I don't know if a solution would be to tax imports so there is no economic advantage to sending jobs abroad. Am not an economist so accept I might be talking bollocks! But people do need to earn enough to support their families and there are not enough jobs for everyone who wants them.

The only way you can have low wages is if a)the govt tops up with additional financial support or b) controls housing prices and the cost of living.

I do know that the Secretary to the Treasury has no idea how much the Libyan situation has cost us, the govt still finds money for the things it deems to be important and the only people getting cuts appears to be the public. Now if we are truly broke, I'll accept that and make changes but I think the govt has money when it wants to.

I'd also feel happier if the govt led by example and had their pensions/wages cut too.

itsybitsy08 · 07/07/2011 13:42

Oh yes those pesky illegals Grin

PrettyMeerkat · 07/07/2011 13:43

niceguy2 So if you don't take your kids to school then there will be a gap in the family?? Really?

Go back and read my posts. Read about the problems I have had that have impacted on my children. You quite clearly haven't and have to right to comment until you do.

JoySzasz · 07/07/2011 13:45

itsy good points!

The very people that work outside the home(and use childcare) are reliant on those earning MW!

Those workers are reliant on WTC and TC ...

TheSecondComing · 07/07/2011 13:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

janey68 · 07/07/2011 13:46

But you have the right to talk about those of us who use paid childcare as leaving our children with "strangers" prettymeerkat....

PrettyMeerkat · 07/07/2011 13:46

microfight If your kids are at school there no excuse to say I can't find work if the alternative is to spend other tax payers money, tax credits.

Er . . . I do have a job!

TheSecondComing · 07/07/2011 13:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PrettyMeerkat · 07/07/2011 13:49

Janey68 But of course, when you don't have to concern yourself with organising and paying for childcare, it must make you feel so superior to look down on us working mums and dads as somehow not reaching your perfect standard

Where the hell did you get that from?! I don't look down on anyone! I don't want to leave my children with childminders if I can avoid it, and I avoid it by work from home into the night when my children are asleep.

mrsmusic · 07/07/2011 13:50

Hi everyone, I'm so sorry I've not had the time to read the whole thread and this has probably been repeated by a previous poster.
That is a lot of money and a couple who are very good friends of ours have just found out that they are losing a similar amount. They said that thank god their youngest child is about to go to school as that was the money that covered her nursery costs a few days a week.
Me and dp both work full time and have a 2.8 year old. We would have loved to have another child fairly with a couple of years of our son, but for financial reasons have to wait until he is at school, as obviously the childcare for two full time would pretty much equate to one wage.
Our friends had their children two years apart, and when their second was born were chuffed to bits with the tax credits system, as for them, because they do earn less than us, it meant that the tax credits would pay for the older one to go to nursery a couple of days a week whilst she was still on maternity, and then for her to go back to work part time when the youngest was 6/7 months old.

Sometimes it feels like those earners in the middle (and before anyone says it, I am extremely grateful in this current climate that I have a job; sadly dp has very little work at the moment - self employed, another story but I do appreciate the same for many) have been brought into line with those that earn less through systems such as this, which I do feel a little unfair.