to think that child benefit changes to those on over 60k is genius?

[patsara]

And a bloody good idea? I mean those on under this aren't going to have sympathy and the REALLY rich and powerful? Well, it's nothing to them.

It's also really funny to hear stories of couples trying to think of ways to say they're not a family. So you're living with a man who is the father of your child but you're not a family? Riii-ght...

I think people should just forget subterfuge and suck it up. I earn 100k a year and losing it will mean nothing to me. Rather it went to feed some REALLY poor kid myself.

Shocked, Jins? Seriously that is funny! See the vast majority of people in this country do NOT earn 60k per household and the REALLY rich and powerful don't care.

Well I will lose £240 a month, I am not happy. We are well above the limit but £240 is £240, I'm guessing I couold budget better but why should I when the likes of Gary Barlow pays fuck all tax?

Perhaps I should set myself up as a brand and have my office in Luxembourg, I'll buy my groceries and pay myself out of that office.

It would seem so. Short sighted and stupid

It's neither short-sighted or stupid. There's nothing you can do, Jins as the really rich don't care and, even if they did, they still get it if both partners earn a packet.

Wow you're lovely op.
My DH earns just 60k if you include his bonus and we have a hefty mortgage, 5 dc and I'm at uni.
We get no help other than cb. I have friends at uni getting free childcare, free laptops, bloody grants. Some days I can't afford the petrol to get in.

For various reasons including bereavement we have debts which mean our outgoings are huge.
We only have 1 battered car and shop smart price. I use my CB for dinner money, bus fares for dc, toddler groups etc...

When we lose it I am fecked big style.

10 years ago when DH was a graduate earning 15k yes I would have agreed with you. But now I realise its not as much as you might think.

It doesn't affect me. However, it wasn't in their manifesto I don't think. There's a surprise. Wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if their was a rethink.

The really rich are not affected at all.

" As you wish. Maybe my corner of the world looks very different from everyone else's. But as I mentally look around me, I cannot think of a single mother of my generation, married to a man earning over 60K, who wasn't basically on the same path as him before they had children and couldn't have continued on that path had she chosen to. "

My OH earns 60k (now after 4 years of no income at all) and I have never earned (or indeed wanted to earn, because of the nature of my work) more than 24K. I think I'm on about 17k now (part time plus some OT so not easy to estimate) but What our earning potential was/is has absolutely no bearing on our decision to be in a relationship.

Why would it have? How very odd.

I think that's another level of unfairness, number of DC, six or seven people living off 60K is different to 3 people living off 60K. But then again if those 4 or 5 children then go on to become tax payers they will contribute more back than one child.

And also OP what if the SAHM cannot work as she is an unpaid carer for a disabled child? Maybe they should just put the child in an institution so the woman can work?

I'm dreading losing this money TBH. DH earns just under 60k and we have 3 dc. I am a SAHM as youngest is only a baby. It is my only income. DH doesn't give me any money, not because he is a tight arse, but because there is nothing left to give after bills are paid. We rent a tiny house as we can't afford to buy in our area. I am so fed up of being told we're loaded and to cut out the second home and car. If only!!!!!!! This government have certainly done a great job of making me feel inadequate and worthless.

Totally agree sk.
And everyone has been led to believe universal cb is always going to be there. So I have come to rely upon it. Maybe I shouldn't have but I did.

patsara, really? You don't sound like you've got one TBH.

By the way, this is what poverty in the UK looks like. Note: it does not mean being unable to buy wine and/or rent a gites.

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/oct/17/charity-food-banks-record-numbers

I do actually, george, just not for people like you.

"Dim? ANYBODY with a household income of 60k or more should NOT get child benefit. One of the few sensible things this government has done."

Yes Pastara, dim. A dim policy and you have a dim interpretation of it.

BECAUSE - the policy as it stands does NOT mean that "anybody" with a household income of £60k loses child benefit. If you're talking household income then a significant number of households with a combined income of much much more than £60k will still get it.

Which is arse about face. And unfair.

And which, as described by you, is not what this government has done.

As Posie has pointed out the amount saved by this policy - nevermind the ill feeling it's creating - is a drop in the ocean compared to corporate tax avoidance. Sorting that out would be what I'd call sensible.

Rent a gite??? What bloody planet are you on?

God forbid you go out tomorrow patsara and get run over and are unable to work ever again. Or get cancer or one of your DCs get cancer and you are at their bedside for months or years so are unable to work or have a disabled child yourself.

None of us know what will happen to us in the future but we should know that there is a safety net there for all of us should the worst happen.

Who buys wine and rents gites????

our Welfare State and NHS were divised to acknowledge that we operate as a social group, not compete as individuals. cb transferred money from wallet to purse - financial abuse is often the start of domestic violence
the benefit/tax - individual/household is a problem
in general, benefits should be universal, not just a desperate ghetto
get it back in tax for the rich - more efficient and fairer

Eh, sweetkitty, what part of only affecting those on OVER 60k are you not getting? If you ever earn UNDER that amount, you'll get it.

mmmm , going off where I live, £60k is a very very VERY comfortable earning for cost of living, mortgage etc so for me personally YANBU in a tiny aspect. I admit I do find it hard to get my violin out when people earning this sort of money moan about it. But as I say, this is where I live, I do appreciate in London etc £60k doesnt go very far once bills have been paid.

i dont see how you can take the moral high ground though if you claimed it, even if you did give it to charity cough bollox cough cough. Perhaps if everyone who didnt need it didnt claim it then we might not all being squeezed as much as we are now.

A far fairer system would be to make CB universal but cap it at 2 children and stop it when the youngest child turns 12.

My DP is PAYE so he's going to have to fill out a self assessment, money spent sending these out, money spent validating the replies, money spent relighting his tax code, money spent rectifying theists keys and chasing up non responders. Oh and by law I do not have to inform him I receive CB and he does not have to inform me of his salary as we are taxed as individuals, oh but for this purpose the government have bent that rule. Nevermind the very obvious household income issue.