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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think more outrage is needed over Tory threat to child benefit?

537 replies

flower68 · 08/04/2015 19:49

According to papers today Tory planned welfare cuts can't be achieved without further cuts to child benefit. George Osborne has refused to rule it out apparently. Such a cut would be massively controversial, hurt lower income families and is potentially politically toxic for the Tories. So why is no-one pushing them for a straight answer?

OP posts:
Loletta · 08/04/2015 22:51

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ihategeorgeosborne · 08/04/2015 22:53

When I lost mine at the start of this government, no one gave a shit. I wasn't allowed to complain despite the obvious unfairnesses. I felt cowed into silence, because I had no right to complain on a single income of 50k. Now there's lots of outrage about possible cuts to CB. Where was the outrage for people in our situation? No one gave a shit!

fedupbutfine · 08/04/2015 22:53

wow. and you call me 'bitter'....I am not angry at anyone who disagrees. I have, however, asked people what proposals they make for someone in my situation. I can't afford my children under my current circumstances. What is it you want me to do?

grannytomine · 08/04/2015 22:53

Plonkysaurus, you would be wrong to guarantee that everyone's parents claimed family allowance for them. If they were the eldest child, an only child, or their older siblings had left school then they won't have been eligible. I remember when it was nothing for the first child, 18 shillings for the second child and £1 for subsequent children.

Just thought I would clarify that.

Emmaswan · 08/04/2015 22:54

Tits - you chose to have four children. Most people don't because they can't afford to.

ThoughtsPlease · 08/04/2015 22:54

Isn't the point that you have a higher income? ihategeorge

fedupbutfine · 08/04/2015 22:56

Get angry that he is being allowed to shirk his reponsibilities, don't expect people who can't afford three kids themselves to have to support his cuntishness

the Law supports my ex to not support his children financially and 'shirk his responsibilities'. What do you suggest? I think we are now at the point where my children need to go into care?

Viviennemary · 08/04/2015 22:56

Child benefit has already been stopped for higher earners. Perhaps it's time to move towards working aged benefits being only being paid to people in need.

Emmaswan · 08/04/2015 22:56

have, however, asked people what proposals they make for someone in my situation. I can't afford my children under my current circumstances. What is it you want me to do?

The father of your children should be paying. Instead, you expect the father of mine too even though we don't get CB for our own.

Loletta · 08/04/2015 22:56

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keepitsimple0 · 08/04/2015 22:58

I don't think a mother and kids should be cramped in a one room homeless shelter for a year because their is no housing while single people rattle around in 3 bed houses because all their children grow up. I don't think any one can argue with that ideology. Its just the tories who can turn that into something as nasty/ evil as the bedroom tax which ruined peoples lifes overnight.

so right. the conservatives have taken class war to a new level. the bolsheviks would be proud. I too think the bedroom tax makes sense, but only if you include the biggest group that the Cons specifically excluded because that's their base.

DixieNormas · 08/04/2015 22:58

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fedupbutfine · 08/04/2015 23:00

Where was the outrage for people in our situation? No one gave a shit!

I think most people can see the unfairness of the single/dual income situation. I am not sure why it didn't cause outrage - possibly because it only affects two types of families:
a) single parents who deserve to be at the bottom of the social heap anyway. I mean seriously, all single parents are on benefits anyway, aren't they?!
b) single income families where there's obviously another adult who can go out and earn money if the family is that desperate (ignore illness, disability etc. etc.).

Emmaswan · 08/04/2015 23:00

You know, I remember when CB was cut for higher earners and the bitterness and nastiness on here - comments like, " Ooh my heart bleeds". And it wasn't retropsective it was just taken - like that!!

What's the poem?

.then they came for the Jews, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew... When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.

MaryWithoutMungoAndMidge · 08/04/2015 23:00

What is it you want me to do?

I'm not bitter in the slightest. I worked to pay my mortgage as well as clothe and feed my children without claiming benefits of any kind.

You're welcome to do what you wis, however my opinion will remain the same. CB and Tax credits should be abolished. If people choose to have children then they should support them and NOT rely on the Government to do so.

soverylucky · 08/04/2015 23:02

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Titsalinabumsquash · 08/04/2015 23:02

I did, you're right (despite being told it would be impossible after the second!) but DP also worked his arse off to get a job to support us while I care for DS, who, last time I checked never asked for a disability, it wasn't something I could have known about before he was diagnosed.

It wasn't a case of not having them because we couldn't afford it, we are just another case where we could/can afford it fine but then life happened to take its own cruel twist and suddenly my earring potential is zero because of DS's health.

If someone knocked on my door and gave me a job, any job in the world that I could do around his care needs then I wouldn't blink before accepting but that's not likely to happen, I'm not employable sadly.

But that's what benefits are supposed to be for, a safety net for people like us that literally have no choice. I don't have a time machine to go back and not have the children. I don't ha e a host of nurses and care workers ready to travel 3-4 hours away for weeks at a time to stay with DS as and when needed, it's ludicrous that the solution would be for DP to quit his job that he spent ££££ to go through university to get just so we can claim all these benefits that are going to be under the Universal Credit umbrella.

ihategeorgeosborne · 08/04/2015 23:03

Thoughts, the point was that families on nearly twice our income still get it and we don't. We have 3dc, so £200 a month was a lot to lose for us. My friends however, have a joint income of 80k and 3 BTL properties. They save their CB for their dcs university fees. It isn't fair whatever anyone says. They don't need it anymore than we do.

fedupbutfine · 08/04/2015 23:03

The father of your children should be paying. Instead, you expect the father of mine too even though we don't get CB for our own

The Law says it's fine for my children's father not to support them. I support them. The Law says I don't earn enough to be able to meet all my costs so I am topped up to a level that the Law says is acceptable. Even if my ex paid child maintenance, I would still get the same top up (which is a whole other thread). Shall I put my children in care? would that satisfy you?

soverylucky · 08/04/2015 23:03

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Beth2511 · 08/04/2015 23:04

My gripe is that it is so damn confusing to figure it out.

My OH is on an income of 19k, I earnt 7k now how the hell do I figure how much I need to earn to cover child care costs when I return in August at work. How do I work out if we are entitled to CTC to help with the cost. Its all so confusing that it feels so much easier just not to work. I want to work and I have every intention of working but the easy option is not to when its so confusing and all I see is £60 a day child care costs!

Icimoi · 08/04/2015 23:04

So what happens if, for whatever reason, the parents can't afford to support them? Do we leave the children to starve, or do we take them all into care? That would very soon cost way more than it saves.

BoulevardOfBrokenSleep · 08/04/2015 23:06

Emmaswan I think the move to charge resident parents for using the CSA to track down their feckless ex, combined with this potential cap on CB, leaves us in no doubt as to where the Conservatives' views on 'shirking responsibilities' lie.

DixieNormas · 08/04/2015 23:06

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Theoretician · 08/04/2015 23:08

I think child benefit should either be universal or means-tested (i.e. go to people who are already wholly or partly dependent on benefits for their income.)

They've taken away universality already, but in a half-assed way. So now I want them to go to the other extreme.

If rather than restricting it to two children, which does seem to punish some people who've done nothing wrong, they abolished if for everyone who is not on benefits, including tax credits, they would save even more money. And make the benefits system a bit more rational than it is at the moment.