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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

689 replies

OldGreyWiffleTest · 21/03/2012 13:39

Well, am I?

OP posts:
KalSkirata · 22/03/2012 08:54

'If you can't afford to bring up a family without state benefits...don't start a family.'

Made redundant after kids were already here. Teensy bit late to get rid of the buggers!

horsesforcourses1 · 22/03/2012 08:59

Set up your own business, Ironing, selling other peoples things on E bay (for a percentage of the profits) make your own jewellery, childcare, cakes for kids parties, data entry, teaching foreign students English, online surveys, tutoring, personal shopping there are so many thing we can do from home.

Hecubasdaughter · 22/03/2012 09:10

I was 37 weeks pregnant when DH was made redundant. Despite DH's colleague's 'helpful' suggestion an abortion would have been illegal and against my principles anyway.

Hecubasdaughter · 22/03/2012 09:10

Also my tenancy agreement forids running a business from the property.

Starwisher · 22/03/2012 09:16

Someone suggested you abort at 37 weeks?

God did you laugh or did you cry?

I thought the "people who live in south east are stupid and not creative" was about as ridiculous as the arguments coud get

flapperghasted · 22/03/2012 09:22

I think the majority of people here aren't saying they'll starve without the CB when their partners are earning £60k+. They're grieving for the loss of income and raging at the disparity where households with £98k still get the benefit. I understand that. I do, however, feel that the majority (and there will always be exceptions of course) of people who earn that kind of income will manage without their child benefit. They just need to go through the adjustment process and budget accordingly.

We live in an expensive part of the country, my DH earns less than £60k and I earn buttons, so don't even come close to the threshold, but we accepted that if the Higher tax bracket was used for removing the child benefit, we'd manage. Of course life would be harder. Of course we'd have less money to spend generally and would have to budget much more carefully. DD might have to do without the latest trendy trainers and the second car (which seems vital right now, even though I only work part time) might have to go.

No income is guaranteed and though we all make decisions on how big our family is going to be based on what's coming in before we conceive/have our children, life is always going to get in the way and put challenges in our way: job changes; loss of overtime; redundancy; illness; bereavement. Removal of a universal benefit is a big challenge but families will survive.

horsesforcourses1 · 22/03/2012 09:28

I did say ?start? a family, meaning the teenage girls whose soul ambition in life is to get pregnant, get a council flat and live off benefits.

KalSkirata · 22/03/2012 10:03

those are much much rarer than established familes losing their jobs/getting sick/becoming carers Horses. Rehardless of what the Daily Hate says.

Starwisher · 22/03/2012 10:05

What if a teenage girl accidental gets pregnant?

Hecubasdaughter · 22/03/2012 10:11

They are in the minority horses. A large number of people really struggling now are those who planned as much as anyone can but something has caused a change in circumstances after their children were conceived. By really struggling I mean doing without essentials.

Over the last couple of years lots of people have been made redundant, many of whom have worked 10,20,30 years (depending on their age). For others they are affected by illness, death of a partner etc.

People don't generally aspire to be poor. Though for some people the realisation eventually comes that is unrealistic to think things will ever improve or to think they will ever be anything other than dirt poor. The way society is structured. once something happens to push you down the chances of pulling yourself up is barely more than zero.. Social mobility in this country is vastly biased in favour of the downward direction.

Hecubasdaughter · 22/03/2012 10:13

Sorry star missed your question. I swore a lot, was rather hormonal.

Starwisher · 22/03/2012 10:14

Hebecaus

Don't say that, always have hope

I know it's hard, but don't give up xxxx

accountantsrule · 22/03/2012 10:15

£960 isn't loads if its your household income, different if you were both earning that. If your household income is £50k but you have 4 children then I am sure that you are not 'loaded'.

It does depend on your outgoings but obviously child benefit should not be relative to that. We have a joint household income of £67k, DH works full time and I work part time, we have 2 DC and no mortgage, we choose to spend the money on the essentials of course plus nice holidays and private school fees so no we probably don't really need the child benefit but will continue to get it as we both fall under the threshold. We ARE entitled to it as we have both worked hard to get to where we are and pay lots of tax etc etc!

Someone else earning that amount may be struggling as they may have 4 children and a big house (therefore big mortgage) and a lot more outgoings for their large family. If one person earns £52k and the other £15k they wouled have lost the child benefit (or part of it with the new changes) and the may actually really need it.

Its a messed up system, the whole benefits thing makes me cross which I won't get into at all as it will cause offence!

ShellyBoobs · 22/03/2012 10:15

Is there anyone who doesn't qualify for state benefits in the UK?

Of course there are. Millions of them. Most single, childless people for example.

What about you horses, what benefits do you get?

Hecubasdaughter · 22/03/2012 10:19

accountant when you take into account what the average income is in the UK there are an awful lot of people for whom a salary of 50K is an unimaginable amount of money.

accountantsrule · 22/03/2012 10:26

I know, sorry really the point I was making is that there is no consistency in the decision over getting or not getting child benefit. I am not necessarily talking about a salary of £50k - this may be the whole household income so equiv 2 average wages.

Also I have no read the thread back and am outraged over a comment made about people 'moaning about losing child benefit as one person is a HR tax payer and has the luxury of a SAHP'. Really? So should we all go out to work and ship our kids out to nurseries or nannies then rather than DH working bloody hard to get a good job so our DCs can be looked after by their mother? These sorts of comments make me mad, we relied on the CB when I wasn't working, I stayed at home to bring up my children while DH went to work and as we had both paid lots of tax all our lives why should we not get the benefits we deserve. We got £42 a month tax credits and £132 CB.

I think people should live to their means, I have friends that only have benefits and they seem to afford holidays every year and designer clothes - surely benefits are to ensure people can live to a reasonable standard?!

devon0000 · 22/03/2012 10:27

I think one of the things that annoys me about using individual income is how the system could be skewed by the self employed. There must be a tempation for a self employed person to employ their spouse so the drawings/income can be split and neither will be HRT payers.
Realise it will be rare but shows how infair system is.

devon0000 · 22/03/2012 10:28

That would be unfair.

StealthPolarBear · 22/03/2012 10:30

"asdaughter Thu 22-Mar-12 09:10:06
I was 37 weeks pregnant when DH was made redundant. Despite DH's colleague's 'helpful' suggestion an abortion would have been illegal and against my principles anyway."
Some people can'topen their mouths without coming out with offensive, horrific crap, can they? I assume he was childless? If he now has children I bet he has a hot flush of shame every time he remembers that
(am aware I am assuming this is a he)

BTW, why can't they implement this by fddling with child tax credits? Are the thresholds not similar?

devon0000 · 22/03/2012 10:33

Good point accountants
When my 1st child was one I considered returning to work for 2 long days per week. With the cost of childcare I realised I would be working for £20. It just wasn't worth it. (thats with a 60 mile commute)
Yet I had a colleague who returned to work because working tax credits covered 80% of her child care cost.

Hecubasdaughter · 22/03/2012 10:34

I'd love to know who all these people who are only on benefits yet buy designer clothes and have holidays. I also want to know how they do it. DH and I have been skipping meals to try and make ends meet.. So I hope you understand why I get pissed off when people start going on about people on benefits having it easy.

Hecubasdaughter · 22/03/2012 10:35

Yes it was a he. He has grown up children btw.

StealthPolarBear · 22/03/2012 10:36

Hecubas, I think they are a Daily Mail myth - well not quite a myth, I'm sure there is a grain of truth somewhere but then that has been extrapolated to the "people on benefits with widescreen TVs" stereotype we all know and love :o

StealthPolarBear · 22/03/2012 10:37
Shock So he already knew what it was like to have a 37 week, almost ready to be born baby!
Hecubasdaughter · 22/03/2012 10:38

So many seem to believe it though.. It becomes really offensive.