AIBU to think that people earning £960 per week don't really need Child Benefit?

[OldGreyWiffleTest]

Well, am I?

Yes of course we will, stupid question, this thread has confused me

Only if he earns over 60k Stealth.
Sliding scale after 50k so anything over that and you will lose a percentage.

Only if he earns over £50k Stealth

We will lose our CB, and as a SAHP my concern is about the CB/pension link as mentioned by several posters up thread a few pages.

I think not very many SAHP are aware that claiming CB has been protecting their state pension entitlement.

R4 did a program about this a few months ago, and they were criticising the lack of publicity about the CB/pension link, and were advising women who would lose CB due to having a high earning partner TO KEEP CLAIMING CB, and it would be taxed at 100%, so you'd get no money, but your NI contributions would continue to be paid, as they are now.

Does anyone know if this is still going to be the case? The big criticism from the experts on R4 (money box, I think), was that people are not being given this information and will lose pension contributions if they stop claiming CB.

Whoops, didn't mean to repost!

I think child benefit should be means tested in some way, although I have no idea how, as should fuel allowances and freedom passes for older people.

The reason it has been done this way is that it has been deemed the cheapest way of administering the cut.

I agree with Surubandream, winter fuel allowances and bus passes should be means tested too, again probably too expensive to administer this.

I'm a high earner and have no issue with child benefit being withdrawn from me. It's nice when I get it, but I don't need it. In the current environment I understand that sacrifices are needed and this is a sensible one.

That is a very good point oldmum, although it won't affect me as our combined income is less than £49,000.
I too am a bit on the fence but would agree with no child benefit after your 3rd child.

OldMum - yes, it's still the case.

Freedom Passes and winter fuel to higher rate tax payers add up to virtually nothing, so there's virtually nothing to be gained from means testing them.

I agree that it should be given up to a certain number number of children.

I don't know about it being 3 though. 2 would make more sense to me and I have 3 (trying for 4)

I don't think part time jobs are that easy to come by and what about school holidays etc.

also it depends on your outgoings. you may have a massive mortgage etc.

if the high wage earner loses their job. do you get the CB back again?

The NI contribution thing is sneaky as well.

Why are all these people who don't need it claiming it in the first place if they are concerned about the economic climate and don't mind making sacrifices? And have their reasons for claiming it been looked at e.g. the pension contributions thing?

We claim it as claiming CB is a pre-requisite for applying for school places here and the NI contributions issue.

Exactly! Reasons like that, what are the plans to be for school places etc now? CB is a gateway benefit for a lot of different things, bet George hasn't thought about half of them.

My children will be hoping that it means they don't have to go to school...

It was a universal benefit. Forms are completed as a matter of course. Nothing to do with income.
Anyway, they could have been earning nothing when they first claimed.
It's only recently the govt have looked at it for being means tested because they need the money

It's a very old benefit. Nothing to to with tax credits or unemployment benefit of working tax credits, or anything else over the years
They aren't linked in any way

Well MRFLUFFY, I'm a bit cynical, so suspect George knows all about the NI and other reasons we high earner families claim - but is making no effort to make sure people know the details.

Those benefits will be available to you if your income suddenly atrophies ( which is what happened to us)

MRFLUFFY I claim it (well actually DH does) because I knew I would be losing it and only getting it for a few months so I thought I might as well. It's free money.

But I think it's right I am losing it as I don't need it.

Unless we all still have to claim for it as usual just without receiving the money. Actually I expect that's what they'll do, just send out award letters stating zero. And those who just stop claiming because they didn't realise will lose N.I. conts if they're not working.

Am I the only one gobsmacked that George didn't sort out the 2 incomes exception to CB?

it show how detached he is from the reality!

people were angry because it was unfair...he raised the amount by what, 6k? and it is STILL unfair

I would like to go to my local john lewis and swear at the osborne and little fabrics/wallpaper...does anyone else want to get involved in my peaceful demonstration? It will be hand gestures only

So is it over 50k or over 60k? And my salary doesn't factor into it?