To think that people who complain about not getting child benefit because they earn above the threshold can fuck right off?

[CosetteFauchlavent]

Firstly I should say that I am applying this to people who are coupled up - it's very different for single parents.

I have an acquaintance, friend of a friend, who I'm not particularly keen on but my friend insists on inviting to group outings etc. She describes herself as "the girl who has everything" and has said several times that she's going back to work after maternity leave even though her DH earns enough for her to be a SAHM.

Anyway, the other day she came out with "It's so unfair that people on benefits get child benefit for doing nothing, we earn too much to qualify WAAAH." The "WAAH" is not my addition, she actually said it.

AIBU to think SBU?

"Only" £1310 left per month after paying mortgage, council tax and commuting costs? MN really is like a whole other world at

What about petrol, water, food, phones, internet, gas and electric, insurances, tv licence, mot, kids lunches...

Those come to (in my household) about £1100.00 a month.

That's without clothes or any one off additional things. Hardly rolling in disposable income if you have £1310 to cover it.

Yes and there's a lot of other families, not necessarily on any benefits apart CB, who have to do all those things on far less. It may not be "rolling in it" but it's quite a lot by average standards, though probably not MN standards!

Thanks Annie, my point exactly. We have fuck all left at the end of each month, we are living within our means, we have no debt but no money. No holidays for children at all, no nights out, no hobbies, we don't smoke, and this is despite being out the house from either 5.30am or 6.50am through to 8.15pm ish 5 days a week and only seeing children at the weekend. What pisses me off is the general perception and attitude that if people are earning over £50k they are rich and lording it over the rest of the country, when the reality is we have less money spare (ie none) than people in the village on benefits. And childcare costs combined with DH not being here to help with drop offs and pick ups mean me working to increase our income is impossible. As I said before, £1300 is what is left after the mortgage, council tax and Dh's train and tube tickets. Everything else needs to come from that £1300. £200 for gas and electricity. Then all the other bills I listed including food and clothes and toys and so on. As homeowners we also need to pay anytime anything needs fixing on the property, unlike council tenants who get things fixed for free. Clearly I must be doing something wrong if people think we should be able to pay all our bills and somehow have loads left over each month? It really riles that people have this attitude, and that plenty of couples out there can earn £99998 between them and also get child benefit, whereas a family that has one higher earner might earn £60001 and get nothing. No one can say the current system is fair to the children in the latter families.

Loopy well said.

To be honest I still don't think it is fair that HRTs put lots in but get next to no benefits back particularly where their children are concerned. Whether people like it or not it creates resentment.