To disagree with 3/4 year old children having more childcare paid for

[ReallyTired]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24199711

I feel the goverment should pay for education rather than childcare. 15 hours a week is enough to meet a child's educational needs for pre school. At a time of austerity, I feel there are bigger spending priorities. (Providing enough school places for children who are of complusory school age!)

If you choose to have chidlren then you should pay to look after them. I feel that labour's set of proposals are totally unaffordable and making the "banks" pay will damage the UK financial sector long term.

All these election bribes do not help the UK in the long term.

You have mates who took 4 years out and are earning 40 odd for a 3 day week ?

Maybe you need to find some new mates as you seem deeply envious of them all for nabbing cheap childcare from their rellies

Where are those on 80k whinging ?

Think outside of some of your ivory towers because the average wage is still £26.5K. I'm sure some low earners would happily forgo some benefits for a bit more financial security.

There also seems to be an assumption that people walk into 40k jobs from nowhere. A couple who are both on 40k are likely to have spent years working up to it, including continuing in the workplace during those dire years of really high childcare costs. They are probably both working full time.

I still find it amusing that the SAHP of higher earning men are so quick to tell us how tough life is and how their partner couldn't possibly manage without them at home to facilitate it. Yet when faced with a couple who are both working in those higher paid roles, it suddenly becomes some rose-tinted, cushy, wealthy life of riley.

But I don't think those with a joint income of 80-100k should necessarily keep their cb. But 60k from one earner and 60k from 2 are very different things.

There are 699 posts about this as I write, but I'm sure I won't be number 700 as seems loads of people will also be adding their thoughts and we all X post. Ican't be bothered to read all the replies but just in case some politician types (aka researcher/unpaid intern) are reading this then this is what I think;

Childcare vouchers should be available up to a certain number of hours that are taken out of the tax taken from the payslip. Ie reduced tax for working mums. So only if you do the work do you get the childcare. So this encourages mums back to work and to pay more tax (more than they are claiming on childcare). So at the end of the month(or week!) your payslip looks like this... Basic pay £xxx. deductions; -£y tax, -£z national insurance. Written off tax for childcare; +40% of £y.

25 hours should not be the limit. Many mums want to work full time as they are more fulfilled that way.

Childcare should not just be pre-school as some mums cannot make work fit in with 3.15 pick ups. Also it should not be exclusively one provider as some want to send child to preschool but then would like them to go somewhere (usually childminder) till 5.30.

Should be for all children age 12 months and above. So optional if mum wants to work and put something back after her maternity leave finishes. The implant is that many mums have to take a career break and then find it hath to get back in to work for various reasons (childcare not being the only one, lack of onfidence is another major contributor but others again are very relevant).

On the whole I think the CB thing is fair. Because there are two people working. Two people paying tax and NI. Two people paying transport costs and other costs associated with working. Not sure about the childcare aspect. If it's means tested even with a high cut off point there will be a lot of whining. But this will cost an enormous amount of money. I think a subsidy would be better.

The problem ... Not the implant.

Find it hard... Not hath

As I've said repeatedly those on lower joint wages I get but not the wealthier families.

I think those arguing for benefits and childcare for the wealthy need to look at their hypocrisy.

LOL Retro no one is arguing for benefits for the wealthy but your idea of wealthy is bonkers. Having over £50k even in London/SE is wealthy!

So, retropear, do you think that if I choose to give up work tomorrow, I should have CB reinstated as a result of my choice? Even though my husband is in the higher rate tax bracket?

That would be wonderful please, but very expensive. Also I think it's really important that childcare is not seen as the mother's responsibility. But as another household expense, like the mortgage or the gas bill.

Really? Childcare is a utility?

It's a bill in the same way yes..

true, wishihadabs, it should be deducted from either parent's wage slip, just as the childcare vouchers are now- you can purchase there through your wage slip pre tax at the moment.... And as this system is in place then adjusting it to do as I suggested should not be too difficult.

Also it should not cost the government anything as it is paid for by the people working and paying the other 60% (or whatever is not deducted for childcare)

The childcare has always come out of the joint account that we both pay in to, of corse it allows us both to work.

See janey68, we are not talking about the same world or type of responsibilities. Where I live, new graduates earn way over £40k. That's a starting salary. But you'll work 80 h weeks for it. And when you have kids both nannies will cost you €60 k or so.

The loss in tax would be huge. They stopped the vouchers for HRT for that reason.

Wonder if retropear is going to answer my question...

Depends on what your dp is on.If it's £100k or less then yes as joint families up to £100 k get it.Why on earth should they be treated differently?

Candy so why should those on £50 get help with childcare then if even those living in London are deemed as wealthy?

Retro I have tried very hard several times to explain to you why it's different. Can you really not see it ?

Wow. I am truly amazed. I wouldn't expect to get CB if I jacked in my job tomorrow - and my husband earns well under 100k!

Some people have a really overblown sense of entitlement

Perhaps I would not use the wot utility but it is a necessary expense to be considered when working out the monthly budget.

I went back to work because if I didn't then I couldn't guarantee getting a job after a career break. Not a part time one anyway. So I went part time. This meant I paid less tax as I was earning a smaller amount above the tax paying threshold. With two children in childcare I was paying £110 per day in childcare. I could only have afforded to do so on a part time wage- if I had had to start paying more tax then I would have actually been paying to go back to work each day. Actually I think I earned approximately £10 a day during this period and this went on travel costs so I was working for free! However I now have my eldest in preschool and am earning slightly more but not a great deal more as I have to pay for a childminder before and after school.

I would work 3 days a week as I love my job and am fulfilled by it, I believe it is good for my children to be sociable and to have different things to play with. I also would like to stay at home some days to be a SAHP and give them the attention they deserve.