To be hacked off that well off families are now getting CB,help with childcare and now free school meals when those on a lot less are losing CB?

[Retropear]

I thought it was necessary to take CB off those on 50k so why are those on a lot more getting yet more money given to them?

It's not fair.

There is nothing that justifies getting married sorry.

Oh and ring going by your logic my dp on £60k is paying more tax than 2 x £30k so deserves CB more.

Jenai - 'Or of the way the removal of the principle of universal CB is part of an irreversible erosion of the state's obligation to society?' Um what is the state's OBLIGATION to society?

It's somewhat ironic that this scheme will be implemented as families with a higher tax payer will begin to lose their child benefit.

They see policies like this as a sop to families who have lost their child benefit. They're panicking, as 2015 looms ever closer. What they're still failing to realise is that families like ours with a single earner between 50 and 60k will never forgive for this. Roll on 2015!

It is a very fine example of how bonkers they are!

Take away CB and at the same time discriminate because they aren't any good at maths (should have had to keep doing maths until they were 18!) and now give free school meals to all - total mess, and yes I'm talking about this not everything they do but the greater majority of their decisions could easily be included in that too!

You have to laugh or you wouldn't stop crying. What a state this country is forced into with this lot.

Particularly those of us that aren't getting any of the sweeteners either.

williaminajetfighter - if the state doesn't exist to benefit society, then what does it exist for? You don't need to delve too deeply into political philosophy to ask that question (although it's an interesting diversion).

If the state doesn't exist to benefit society then it exists to benefit itself and the ruling elite.

jenai - yes but the other question is....does the state have to provide everything (in the case of marx/labour) or should we provide for ourselves if we can? I prefer the latter as i can then make my own decisions rather than having to do what some idiot in central gov decides

cloudy/ihate - could we be clear though....rather than saying 'they' its actually lib dems. And this is why i would never vote for this bunch of loonies.

SAHM does not pay £1k a month in childcare fees...

dreaming, I seem to remember it was George Osborne who announced that CB was going to be removed from higher rate tax payers on 4th October 2010. It's a date that's been heavily etched in my mind. Many Tory MP's came out in defence over this cut. I seem to remember Boris Johnson saying that it was a great idea and that rich people only used it to stock up their wine cellars. This proved to me that the tory's have not got a clue about how families like ours actually live. I used to vote for them, I'm ashamed to say, but NEVER will again.

Tas neither do many working mothers(I don't know any who do actually).All my friends have school age kids,many in secondary,part time jobs,granny,friends or partners to help out with covering hours.

Me neither Ihate.

The Boris comments shocked me a lot more than anything else on this issue. Truely no idea of the real world.

It's free school meals. It's for kids, who aren't earning anything and have no choice in the matter.

As someone who came from a well-to-do appearing family who was regularly left without food, and left with disabilities because of it, I won't begrudge a child free food based on what their parents make. We won't benefit from it, but many kids will.

@ for kids who aren't earning anything

that will be all of them then, no?

The needy children are already getting it The and an awful lot more could if money wasn't being wasted on rich people getting it.

Wish the Government would just stop squandering our money and then perhaps we'd be able to reap the rewards of our hard earned cash. We don't receive child benefit anymore and won't benefit from the marriage tax allowance, even though we've been together 15 years and both paid tax. we will benefit from the free school meals for one of our children but wont be taking up the offer. I am just so sick of constantly being squeezed by this country.

Now I agree fsm is a good idea. Unfortunately it is too late for my dc. And I am sure won't be around by the time baby starts school
Yet as a single income family on 60k we lost child benefit. Now we are doing fine financially. However we live in south east where price are higher and I have to think twice about paying for school dinners for my dc. Especially now we have to pay bus fares for oldest and shedloads on school shoes. Football boots and uniform. .
The govt needs to decide a stragedy re universal benefits as they are being completely hypocritical.
Take away wfa for wealthy pensioners. O no we can't possibly do that. Too expensive etc.
Take away universal benefit of chb. Despite nightmare admin they did it.
Introduce fsm for infants. Universal and acceptable.

Exactly Somerset,that is my grievance.

Obviously, which is why I said it - alongside saying children have no say in the matter, and having a benefit go straight to the kids will also benefit kids like me who came from well to do looking families that still neglected to feed their children.

It isn't about the parents, it's about the kids.

agreed somerset. if you are in full-time education and over 18 - ie at uni - you no longer get free dental care. why feed children from rich families, but make it too expensive for students to get their teeth fixed?

The only problem with the fsm system at the moment is that it excludes the working poor. You may haveca low income but cannot get fsm if you claim wtc.
Now that is even more unfair than the chb fiasco and now the fsm for infants issue.

But the money isn't wasted. Chunderella's 11:01 post discusses that. Wealthy families might not need the free school lunches, but the knock on effects will still benefit their children.