To point out that this family ARE on benefits

[barbiecollector]

Not a benefit-bashing thread at all, but I hate how smug these big families are when they say they are not on benefits like they are superior to people who are. In fact, this family get £180 a week in Child Benefit!

Story here: Big family

The DWP website says full rate IS for a single person is £71 per week (same as for JSA) and that's what I get Child benefit is definitely no longer counted as income for housing benefit because I remember the posters in our local housing office.

OP YANBU

I know what you mean, it is the implication that families like this are 'better' due to not claiming benefit [ie out of work benefits]

Except they will be getting massive amounts of tax credits

I dont believe they dont claim tax credits either,.

Optimistic

Now that if you are on IS you get that paid for you and aside that you get child tax credits for your children, the CB is deducted off that, it used to be that you got IS for you and then more IS for your children, they just seperate the payments into IS for you and TC for the children.

CB is disallowed for HB and has been for a few years now

Ment to add but its not for IS or IS level CTC

HMRC website says not to include Child Benefit when reporting income and also says CB doesn't affect claims for tax credits or any other benefits: www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/payments-entitlements/other-benefits/affect-other-benefits.htm. Sorry to be pernickity but I am a little concerned, my CB is not deducted anywhere and I'm worried now that it should have been

Optimistic Have you a letter from the dwp with a breakdown? It'll be on there.

Yes, I have one from DWP for income support, the child maintenance I was receiving at the time was listed but not deducted iyswim but there was no mention at all of CB. I also have the breakdown from HMRC for my tax credits, CB isn't mentioned there either.

I want to know how they manage on 30k a year. I'd really like to get some budget tips!

Take a look at the deductions at the bottom, Optimistic

If they truly dont claim anything other than child benefit at £180 a week, then they actually take from the state less than lots of others do by far. A single parent would get IS, HB, CTB, CB and CTC plus free school meals, trips and prescriptions.

However, there bill for hospital care and education alone will mean they will never be contributors to the pot on a jount salary of £40k. If they ever couldnt work the bill to the state would be horrendous.

I cant ever imagine having that many children and being able to devote the time needed to them individually. Its quite sad the teen already has her own child before discovering the world and finding her place in it.

A single parent would get IS, HB, CTB, CB and CTC plus free school meals, trips and prescriptions.

No I don't; I have a job.

Please don't link to the scum sun

They probably claim back vat on everything they buy. You can do that if you do it through business accounts. Effectively everything is 20% cheaper. My bil does it. Prob illegal.

lets not tar all single parents with the same brush, I work but do not earn quite enough for my rent, so HB helps and WTC, however, my eldest son works bloody hard on a farm to help us out ( all registered with HB people) DD going to uni next year and working part time, 14 yo DS heading the same way, middle class has nothing to do with money, it's the way you think.

I'm a single parent I receive none of that. Lots of single parents have well axing jobs

Paying not axing

I'm a single parent claiming all that HappyMummy but if it makes you feel better I was a taxpayer for 30 years prior to giving up work in order to care for my autistic son. He has high functioning autism and is hard work but I consider the input he has now might just make him able to contribute to society as an adult.

I digress though......even if he cannot work and pay taxes I will save the Govt a small fortune in care by doing it myself for as long as I am able to do so. The same goes for other Carers too...

This family are caring for their children, I can't imagine how they do it either but the fact is that they appear to.

I think it's irresponsible for anyone to have that many kids because of overpopulation, but that's another thread entirely.

Expat I'm I correct in thinking that we have population issues due to old people living longer as opposed to people born?

I know we wouldn't have a long living person if that person was not born but we need the people born to pay tax.

sockreturningpixie,, I hope you were not pointing the finger at me, i was in the Navy before children, gave up career so ex husband could pursue his, could not re establish mine as we moved every 18 months.

'Expat I'm I correct in thinking that we have population issues due to old people living longer as opposed to people born?'

No. In most of the world, it's that too many people are being born in addition to old people living longer.

It's not doing the world a favour for one person to have 20 kids.

Sock, I think (you'll need to check this out on the ONS website) that there are far more births than deaths - yes there's an aging population but I think we're compensating for that quite sufficiently.

I agree with you, OP.

Many people assume that they are just taking out of the system what they are putting in, but, in fact, most of us (apart from about the top 5% of earners) are net takers.

But that is why we have a taxation system, and state health, education, benefits, etc. because it makes it fairer. (Not necessarily "fair", but "fairer".)

Stephrick,

I wasn't pointing a finger at all let alone at anybody.

But it is a shame the world turns round because if it didnt we could build massive floating islands all around the middle like new country's with giant walls round the edge so nobody falls off.

Problem solved, well at least according to dc4 anyway.