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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Benefit bashing

341 replies

LovelyBath77 · 29/07/2017 20:50

To think MN can be a bit benefit bashing at times. Even if people are rightfully claiming / ill / poor etc.

Recently, I have seen someone having a hard time although ill and having a baby and considering claiming tax credits. I also have had a hard time although illness (both me and DP) and low wage means claiming some tax credits.

I can understand the rage for those fraudulently claiming benefits or the like but why for those legitimately claiming? or AIBU?

OP posts:
twattymctwatterson · 30/07/2017 16:24

I claim tax credits. I had no idea that DDs dad was going to drop me on my arse when I was pregnant. I've worked hard ever since I left school and I'll be fucked if I'm going to let someone who isn't in my shoes make me feel guilty for making sure my daughter is properly fed and clothed

PurpleMinionMummy · 30/07/2017 16:25

So you did have those incentives and help then Lucy Hmm

Voiceforreason · 30/07/2017 16:26

I know of a family where the husband works and the wife is a sahm. There are 2 children aged 16 and 14. They get tax credits. I think this part of the system is wrong because obviously the sahm could be working with children of those ages. Maybe these things need to be amended so that for example as children get older the tax credit reduces. Just a thought.

MissAlabamaWhitman · 30/07/2017 16:38

I agree wholeheartedly Voice

There should be no provision for tax credits to subsidise a SAHP when all children are over age five or thereabouts.
This is generous, it affords the SAHP to settle the child in to full time government subsidised childcare, find a job and source adequate wraparound childcare provision if needed.

However there should always be support for families to have SAHP if they Have a child under three and if they choose to do so.

Original poster
LovelyBath77 · 30/07/2017 16:53

Does anyone remember the ads telling families to claim tax credits? Like this? We don;t get so many of these now, do we?

OP posts:
Original poster
LovelyBath77 · 30/07/2017 16:55

And this?

OP posts:
Original poster
LovelyBath77 · 30/07/2017 16:56

I think for parents over five they do expect them to both be in work? the new universal credit does anyway.

OP posts:
HelenaDove · 30/07/2017 17:01

Arf at the Kafkesqueness of Bluntness asking proof of benefit bashing MN threads when this has turned into one.

And Babs Ganoush are you actually saying that care assistants shouldnt be paid a decent wage? So you dont see it as a job of value.....................oh wait Quite a lot of people on here wouldnt want care assistant wages going up because that would mean having to pay more in care home fees for their elderly relatives so that they could carry on in their high flying careers and not have to worry about taking time off to look after Granny or elderly mum or dad.

Thats the real reason . Its not to encourage people into aiming for higher paid work.

HelenaDove · 30/07/2017 17:03

Ah yes. Universal Credit Comes in in this area this October. Cant wait to see some of the employERS complaining about it in our local paper because their part time employees will have to keep taking time of work to sort out the administrative mess that UC is.

Original poster
LovelyBath77 · 30/07/2017 17:11

Wonder if they will advertise Universal credit- "It's money with your name on it!" Confused Probably not!

I remember when this tax credits first came out and DH said "Well, hopefully we won't ever have to do that' little did we know- redundancy and illness would occur.

OP posts:
Lucysky2017 · 30/07/2017 17:22

I won't ever stop work so I will be paying 45% tax in retirement. My father was the same, paying in his case 40% tax on his state and private pensions as he worked just about until he died.

HelenaDove · 30/07/2017 17:36

Extra hours offered to employees are usually intermittent and inconsistent which messes up the claim.

Sleepyblueocean · 30/07/2017 17:37

Some sahp with children over 5 cannot work because there is no available childcare for those children and the parent has frequent commitments related to those children during the day. You would need an exemption for those with children with sn.

RainbowsAndUnicorn · 30/07/2017 17:43

Sleepy, the child would still be at school as the LEA has an obligation to provide an education. That's at least thirty hours a week. Most places now provide before and after school care too.

HelenaDove · 30/07/2017 17:45

"I blame the people who think that because something is available, they should jump at it, even if they don't truly need it"

Like Poundland do!

Sleepyblueocean · 30/07/2017 17:46

Do you have a severely disabled child Rainbows?

HelenaDove · 30/07/2017 17:48

Rainbows do you realise how many school hours jobs would have to be available Are there that many?

Sleepyblueocean · 30/07/2017 17:55

Most special schools do not provide before and after school care. Many children with that level of sn wouldn't cope with it.

Starlight2345 · 30/07/2017 18:07

Rainbow, what about the children regularly excluded from school, children with additional medical needs, Many conditions are not diagnosed prior to school entry..

Special needs holiday care...Thats everywhere too.

gandalf456 · 30/07/2017 19:18

You cannot claim tax credits earning 40k. It is around 40-60% of that.

School hours jobs, if you can get one, are very low paid. It is the biggest myth that you have total freedom once your child hits 5. I actually found it harder when they started school. There's always something on at school, they're frequently sick in the winter and your day finishes at 3. Mine hate after school clubs so wraparound is out.

I get round it by working shifts around either school or working/late night when dh is home. I don't necessarily recommend it. I am always knackered and grumpy and it's killed my social life and we don't get much family time. I am not entitled to tax credits but that is ok. I don't need them now but don't begrudge anyone else them seeing as the criteria for making a claim is pitifully low now

MissAlabamaWhitman · 30/07/2017 20:02

You can claim tax credits at incomes of 40K plus.

You simply need to have four or five children.

gandalf456 · 30/07/2017 20:05

I thought thed changed that and limited it to 3?

formerbabe · 30/07/2017 20:06

I thought thed changed that and limited it to 3?

I thought they had limited it to two but for new claims only? I may be wrong...

user1468353179 · 30/07/2017 20:11

While I agree that benefits should go to people who need them, they should realise that it's a temporary measure to enable them to get back on track. It's not a permanent way of life.

dottymay · 30/07/2017 20:11

It's got nothing to do with wages, the government can out it up and up and up but big companies are never gonna want to see their profit margins being reduced to they put the prices of everything up, childcare goes up because they are working why shouldn't they hve the same wage as others?

It could be £30 an hour but the price of bread will go up to £4 to allow the big bosses to keep their profits and pay their staff the legal amount and as long as the politicians use the pay rise as a quick "vote for me" win it will keep happening.