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

[OldGreyWiffleTest]

Well, am I?

Family allowance actually pre-dated the NHS. With the abandonment of an absolute pre-election pledge to maintain CB universality, I think we have seen how even the earliest pillars of the welfare state can be chucked away.

It was originally a tax credit in the proper sense - reducing the tax burden on families for the expensive child-rearing years (second child onwards). It was only later that a cash allowance was also mooted for non-taxpaying families as well. I don't think one whit of that rational has ceased to apply.

hecubas - poor administration is not an argument for a benefit!

sorry that was to soverylucky

@Edith very interesting, thanks - I didn't know that

MrFluffy surely where people are subject to financial abuse the abuser is likely to claim the CB anyway?

maybe we all should carry on claiming it then

lets ignore the whole policy

London my dh has lost his job and we are waiting too see if we an get any benefits

In the meantime the only income we have is child benefit

Oh and some maternity allowance but I suppose I shouldn't be "paid" for that either

So thanks to child benefit at least there is £33 coming in per week

yabu. a lot of people factored in this long standing benefit and didn't anticipate losing it. Plus the whole 'they should down size' argument just shows some people have no idea beyond renting. If you have negative or no equity, it will cost you money to move. We pay far too much on our interest only mortgage, stuck for five years (took advice to fix) and if we move it will cost about 20,000 to downsize in fees etc. So that's a great idea.

I also feel that universal cb allowed some women or men the freedom to escape - for me in my first marriage it was the price of a taxi one night. And I don't mean escape for a night out, I mean literally escape. Had I told him of its existence it would have been spent in the bookies. And I had more sense than to try to untangle his own income with 'annoying' questions. So I am quite passionate about it. Appearances are deceiving.

It doesn't justify families like ours freezing and starving either but that's what it leads to and the Government don't give a fuck about that either.

No the idea was always that the mother (or these days whoever sah) claims it as claiming it would pay their n.i. conts while they weren't working. The main carer will always lose out financially by having children and they are the parent who is encouraged to claim.

it's paid to women/mothers catgirl, in the VAST majority of cases

It might be the "Idea" but in a situation where there is financial abuse there is nothing at all to stop the other person claiming it.

Whoever sends off the forms claims it. There is nothing more to who gets it than that.

It's not an idea, have you researched the historical elements to the creation and continuation of the allowance at all catgirl?

Yes. I am aware of that Agincourt but the reality is whoever sends off the forms claims it

If you have a partner who is financially abusing you and controls all the money then he is likely to claim the CB specifically to ensure he gets it. There is notging whatsoever to prevent this

starwisher - That is difficult for you but CB isn't meant to act as an emergency out of work benefit, if it was it wouldn't be universal. Ridiculous to give evertyone a benefit because some people may need some emergency support at some times. Personally I would get rid of state maternity pay/allowances but that is a whole other thread!

Family allowance actually pre-dated the NHS. With the abandonment of an absolute pre-election pledge to maintain CB universality, I think we have seen how even the earliest pillars of the welfare state can be chucked away.

Exactly, Edith

It's fucking depressing just how easy this lot are finding it to do this.

*nothing

There is a section which explains in the booklet. I will see if I can find it. The forms are usually given to women in hospital after the birth of their children.

We will lose our CB (for our 1 DD) but we already knew we would regardless of how they decided to apply the new ruling. We are fortunate enough to have enough income to not need it, but I'm sure that's not how it is for a lot of people who earn just over £60k between their family.

I would have actually favoured them leaving it as it is where everyone gets CB but restricting it to 2 children and then reducing the tax allowance for those on over £100k to fund CB paid to people in that tax bracket (so sort of self-funding 2 x CB). That was until I remembered that Brown/Darling had already done away with the entire personal allowance for anyone on over £100k.

Maybe it should just have been left as it is, so everyone gets it, but limited to 2 children?

And partners might be very supportive indeed until the other has given up their job / reduced hours / whatever at which point it's too late

MrFluffy

The forms are avaliable on line to anyone who wishes to fill them in
They are in the Bounty packs given to women in hospital but anyone may fill them in.

I find it hard to believe a person who financially abuses / controls his partner and wants to continue doing so would not simply claim the CB given there is nothing whatsoever to stop him doing so, other than the requirement to send the form off before his partner does. He could just down load, print and send.

'they should down size' argument just shows some people have no idea beyond renting.

And your argument shows that some people (possibly not you, I apologise in advance) have no idea beyond buying. Housing costs are extraordinarily high for all of us. And if you rent, you have precious little security of tenure. Those of us who are buying are bloody lucky to have been blessed with good timing and/or a wodge of cash to use as a deposit, courtesy of gnerous and lucky/frugal/rich parents.

This whole thing is so hideously divisive :(

w2hat do the forms look like? I am sure when i filled them in it was just the mother name you had to fill in, butmine are 13,11 and 5

They must have changed them then Agincourt

link to form

As someone who claimed it (well DH claims ours) 12 weeks ago I can promise you either parent is equally able to apply

Abusers rarely show their true colours until they have their victim exactly where they want them.

My mother gave up work, my father paid the mortgage, bills and that's it. She had no money of her own to spend on us that she didn't have to justify except for Family Allowance as it was then.

One of DH's friends is in a similar position except she receives Child tax credits too. It's not some weird, outdated concept, sadly.