Child benefit and large families

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Just seen an advert for a family which have 15 children www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8972550/Fifteen-children-and-counting....html
I worked out they must be claiming around £8000 a year, tax free, in child benefit. Aibu to be irritated that they can claim such a huge amount, uncapped, regardless of how many children they have?
They seem a lovely family and I'm no at all annoyed with them, but at the government. One family can claim such a large amount, yet my family are not entitled to anything.
I know I am being unreasonable, but I am just fed up with the inconsistency of the government. Why do middle income families always end up being punished?

well, if they have the children then they are entitled to the money. Child benefit is for everyone except the rich so I wouldn't get angry that a couple with 15 kids got more child benefit that a couple with 3. It's just good sense.

YABU to juxtapose it against 'middle income families' because if they were a middle income family (and they may well be), they'd be paying back their £8000 same as the rest of us. However, when CB gets swallowed up in the new Universal Credit (which I think it eventually will) there will be a cap and excessively large families will probably be the ones to feel the pinch most.

Do they work? I can't get the link on my phone. Everyone who earns below the new limit and who has children is entitled to child benefit.
If neither of them work then that's a whole different story.

Manic insomniac- not everyone who isn't entitled to it is rich! Conversely, some people who get it are quite well off. I suppose I feel it is unfair to have lots of children when it drains resources ( eg education, free prescriptions, child benefit).

Sometimes the grass seams greener but there are lots of practicalities to looking after a large family like the logistics of keeping two careers going is rather more difficult than with one child.

Child benefit is to ensure that children don't go without and if you are not entitled to any, i question that you are in the middle income bracket.

Child benefit??!

Just think how much they get in tax credits!! And just think how much their income will drop soon with universal credit

You sound bitter!

"not everyone who isn't entitled to it is rich!"

It stops for those earning over £60k... with average household income at around £26k I'd say £60k is pretty rich. If you can't afford kids on £60k you're just spending too much.

But why reward people for having children? Family allowance was introduced to encourage people to have children after the war, but we don't need to increase population in the same way now.

You know it's not as simple as that ... Yes of course £60k is a bloody good salary but if you live in London then it won't go that far, this has all been argued too many times.

Population control is a completely different argument. Most people don't make their family planning decisions based on how much wedge each new baby attracts from the government....

relatively speaking, if you aren't getting child benefit you're rich. Not millionaires ok, but richer than most people.

Whether or not we should have child benefit at all is a totally different issue. I tend to agree with you, I don't actually think the government should be giving out money just for having a child. But, seeing as they do and we all take it, 15 kids vs 3 kids is irrelevant, it's paid per child.

And I don't know how wealthy the family are but they work. They own a bakery, I saw a documentary on them once.

They're a bloody lovely family, not all the kids are of a CB claiming age and they don't earn don't earn £60k. Is it that difficult to grasp still? [exasperated]

from the link....While they claim around £160 in weekly child benefit (at present this is given to all parents, a small amount per week per child regardless of income), the Radfords support themselves running their home and their 17-seater minibus with the income from their family bakery 15 minutes down the road.

160 a week for 15 kids thats only just over £10 per child so dont think thats over much actually

I'm not bitter! I don't actually have children yet, but know that with a salary of c.52k and c.30k my household won't be entitled. Knowing you can be dependent on the state for top ups like child benefit might make one less responsible with the choices they make . . . Perhaps!

Why does having 15 kids make someone 'irresponsible'? Judgemental much....

Our total family income isn't even £30k. If the wages rose with living expenses then we wouldn't be reliant on state handouts.

But only you with money should have ALL. The children? Heavens forbid us poor people decide to procreate!

It's a lot less than tax credits op!!

Just over £20 for first child and just over £13 for subsequent

Haven't you noticed the universal credit caps coming in??

YANBU. But you will get told that you are.

Should we not have had kids. OP your views are twattish. Stop reading the daily fucking mail.

How does having 15 kids NOT make you irresponsible?

It's in everyone's best interests to encourage people to have more children, not discourage it. The UK birth rate at the moment is well below what is needed to maintain a stable society. Who is going to take care of us all when we get old?

They planned the children, they pay their way, why the hell shouldn't they have The children they want?

If you're not entitled then you don't need it - 82K and you want more?! Stop judging other families for claiming what they're allowed to claim and be thankful for what you have.

One family can claim such a large amount, yet my family are not entitled to anything.

Is that because

I don't actually have children yet

Just a wild guess.