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

[flower68]

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?

Savings? You dont have a clue

Yes, I do. I was 25 when I had my second child and had worked from age 16. I had savings. My DH left me with the children when he decided to move abroad with the OW. I was left to sell the house (negative equity), the car, and move into rented accommodation. It wasn't the Governments problem we decided to have children, it was our decision. However, I was left with the children. I managed to support them without help from the Government. Money was extremely tight and I meal planned to the last slice of bread each week. I worked, got myself a degree at the same time and made a good life for myself and the children. There is nothing wrong with not claiming benefits. Nothing at all.

I worked to pay my mortgage as well as clothe and feed my children without claiming benefits of any kind

my full time childcare costs almost as much as I earn. What do you suggest? that I don't work? or I put my children in care? or what? Please remember I work full time in a professional position - I am not earning minimum wage or doing something which requires no expertise or qualifications.

I can't get too bothered about them losing their cb

And there it is. You don't give a shit because it didn't affect you but somehow if you are a bit better off you are an evil bastard if you feel the same?

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.

no matter how feckless the parents were, the people being punished by this are the children, who had no say in the matter.

I understand the thoughtless knee jerk impulse that supports this kind of idea, but it is really silly. I imagine there is a small fraction of the population that has kids for the extra few quid a month, but I can't see it being big as the money is so tiny.

it's not worth the savings or social problems. Make it more fair (base it on combined income) and reduce the threshold. that'll save more.

The thing is though sovery, is that now they've removed it from HRT payers, they are going a few steps further. You might not care about HRT payers losing it, but that policy has lost a couple of million people who used to support universal CB. So, in the end, it will affect you and your family.

my full time childcare costs almost as much as I earn. What do you suggest? that I don't work? or I put my children in care? or what? Please remember I work full time in a professional position - I am not earning minimum wage or doing something which requires no expertise or qualifications.

childcare costs are outrageous in this country, and I think drives people NOT to work. they should fix that.

Emmaswan, you really can't sit back and put all the blame for the tax credit system on Labour. In case you haven't noticed, the Conservatives have had five years to sort it out.

no matter how feckless the parents were

sticks hand up...I'm not feckless...I struggle to afford my children. Fecklessness and affording children aren't necessarily intertwined...what happened to me is just...tough shit. It happened. I deal with it as best I can but without state support my only option would be to put the children in care.

my full time childcare costs almost as much as I earn. What do you suggest?

Why do you insist on asking me what I suggest? I'm not a counsellor. Also, why do you insist on repeating you work in a professional position? It makes you no better than anyone else.

Social Work wouldn't accept your children into care. That's a very unprofessional statement to make as you should know that.

You sound very frustrated at your current situation, however it was a choice you made to have children and it's your responsibility to support them. NOT the Governments.

as the money is so tiny.

How can it be so tiny when children will starve without it???

I thought losing £200 a month just like that was massive personally. Definitely not tiny. It was really bloody useful. It would have paid dds bus fare next year and bought all their uniforms for school and shoes. I still miss it.

Can I just point out SW will not receive children into care unless there is serious issues within the family. They generally attempt to place children received into care with close family members before looking for a foster carer. It appears people on this thread are saying "should I put my children into care?" to get a point across. It just won't happen people if your benefits are stopped. It's not the easy option.

But mary, there are a huge amount of jobs in the UK which don't pay enough to support kids, especially in the SE.

Should the people who do those jobs never get to have kids?

My gym instructor is a lovely bloke, good at what he does but no Einstein, can't imagine he earns much more than min wage. Married to an admin worker at a local factory; over half their joint income must go on rent on their one-bed flat. Should they really never have kids? I think they'd be great parents...?

It's more important that my other mate, in a City firm, should buy a new BMW from his bonus without excessive taxation? is that how we want to run our country?

If I lose the money it would be annoying but I would be lying if I said that I needed the money.

And there you have the problem with the child benefit system.

Take from those who don't need and give to those who do. I guarantee society would be better for it.

Interesting point Emma

So, is there any evidence to suggest changes to child benefit wouldn't be retrospective?

Hamiltoes, that will be what happens if they merge it with universal credit. It will go to the poorest. They will merge it with universal credit. I always knew they would. Not sure why they didn't do it in the first place.

Mary And you keep repeating the same old shit without offering any sensible solution.

Removing child benefit (and with it eligibility to claim tax credits) will have a massive impact on my ability to work. I am doing everything I can to support my children. You seem unable to acknowledge that.

I wouldn't suggest, nor have I suggested, that being 'professional' makes me better than anyone else. I am trying to show (perhaps unsuccesfully) that I am gainfully employed on a full time basis but that my salary is not sufficient to cover my basic costs. What other options do I have? I am doing a decent job in a decent profession earning a decent salary but it just doesn't cut it. I need the support of tax credits to be able to work. If I don't work, we lose our home, we don't eat, buy clothes...

And actually, the loss of child benefit will be significant to my monthly budget so I can only assume it will be significant to many others. What do you think is going to happen? that somehow people will just manage? or do you think that yet more children will be going to school hungry and worse?

rollon, if it's based on income, it will just go like it did for higher earners. If it's based on numbers of children, I'm sure existing claimants will be ok.

Me too, but id have needed £36,000 in savings to pay childcare to go to my full time 5.50 an hour job for the 3 years I was a student. Not to mention the minimum wage job only just covered my rent and bills.

This is why I had no savings for a few years. They went on childcare. I'd rather have used my savings than claimed benefits. I had savings to use, so why would I have taken money from the Government? We didn't need CB as I worked and DH worked when we were together. We chose to have children and didn't expect the state to pay for that decision.

It would have paid dds bus fare next year and bought all their uniforms for school and shoes. I still miss it.

Pray tell george what the other £50,000 is going on then?

Jesus only on mumsnet.