Interesting post OP...
One thing that does annoy me is you have 'child' benefit, 'child' tax credit, 'child element' of working tax credit, plus with ESA there's a specific amount per child.
I can guarantee you that some poor children rarely see any of it, they might get fed, have a roof over their heads, but they'll be sent to school in a uniform almost threadbare, shoes that have holes in and are crippling the poor children's feet. It's almost guaranteed if there's a trip the parent will not pay.
I read the post about oh the 3rd child rule was unfair, some one deciding to reopen an old thread. My thoughts were firstly after you have baby two, it's pretty much in your mind if it's time to get permanent contraception or whether you want another, so surely you would keep baby stuff, unless stained to hell or broke beyond repair.
It seems like a fair % of those lucky enough to receive tax credits, have their own plans for the money, it doesn't always involve DC's which infuriates me so much. Although they generally fall into the ball pit of going OTFT for birthdays and Christmas. A room full, 5 foot high with presents.
I recall having an interesting conversation once with a parent who was annoyed some uniform allowance was being cut. It cost so much they really relied on said allowance. I joked but you've got a massive TV & the full Sky package right. I was ready to apologise for the lack of taste in my joke, this person though went mental. All the electronics were from Brighthouse, yes they had the full package, but they only go out once a week so they class it as entertainment.
I'm like woah the cost of a months full Sky package is pretty much what this allowance is. If you cut down movies, sport, HD, just 1, you'd have enough saved to buy the yearly school blazer. Again she went off the deep end how her husband likes sports and her kids like movies. No one in the house worked. I'm thinking firstly Brighthouse, why not a hand me down or second hand TV/Blu-Ray thing/Kitchen Appliance. You'd save a fortune, plus once paid for you don't need to worry about meeting payments.
We have a mantra you save to buy, so we put as much as we can away for emergencies, where possible we buy second hand. Moving onto Sky, that is a luxury, not an essential. If you can't afford your kids uniform something has to give. But she kept on that high horse. I didn't even know the woman, we had a mutual friend in common, luckily said friend spoke up and agreed with me. Yes the cuts are crappy, but she lived in a nice house on a new estate, got everything new from Brighthouse, not sure how with them not working, as I thought you had to be working.
How pissed off are the hard working neighbours going to be, who slave to pay their mortgage and bills, she had a better house than most of the estate and lived to the last penny. I doubt neighbours would be at all impressed that she lived such a lifestyle for free, whilst they bust a gut to do the best for their kids.
I've even got family members who consider Sky a cheap babysitter.
As long as I've got a radio I'm happy.
It just infuriates me that the benefits that are child based, seldom reach the child. You couldn't make it up, the woman about the uniform grant, happily admitted to using food banks as often as entitled, as they provide lots of household staples, saving them money. Free school meals meant a sandwich for tea was fine, which I guess it is.
You can see why benefit recipients get a bad name.
Benefits can be spent on whatever the person wants, but I think it does take the piss slightly, when people work hard for what they have, then see others not working having the time of their lives.
It makes it hard for genuine people as there's such a stigma. People are genuinely apprehensive of applying in case they get compared to the cousin who hasn't lifted a finger in their life, you've worked till it really wasn't sustainable, that really is crushing.
So I'm sure there's many who say you don't know if they've an invisible illness, you don't know why they claim. You can't judge, one day that could be you. You are right, one day it could be me, but my priorities will always be on having enough to fall back on if something breaks, over a tattoo, or whatever else people deem frivolous.