To ask if the child benefit cap has stopped you having more children?

[OriginalGeordie]

I am really curious to know whether the 2 child cap has affected people’s plans for a larger family? I have 3 DC but had mine before the rules changed. Pondering it earlier, I can’t honestly say whether it would put me off. DH says it would put him off.

Has anyone here avoided having more solely because of it?

No. We aren't entitled to any of the benefits available, so it had no bearing on our decision that our family is complete (at 3 dc). It was mainly the feeling that we wanted our life back, to be honest. DH has spent the last ten years raising small children so quite fairly wants a bit of a break from that. Also, it's much harder to find willing babysitting the more children you have .

I didn't want anymore, but if I accidently got pregnant with a 3rd I wouldn't have been able to afford the childcare without the childcare element of tax credits.

So I got my tubes tied.

Finances were the deciding factor in avoiding a third child. Not benefits, just finances in general. Mostly because we can't afford a bigger home or another set of childcare fees.

We didn’t consider the benefits situation when we planned dc3 (before the cap came in), but we can afford 3 dc. We wouldn’t have another baby because we couldn’t afford 4 dc, with or with out benefits, so will be sticking with our 3.

@highway

Of course circumstances change, and I don't agree with the cap by the way. I don't think there's anything wrong with tax credits, I just don't think its wise to factor them into planning.

I'm actually so worried about circumstances changing - job loss, economy, state support ect - that I'm sticking with one, especially considering potential future support through university. Its impossible to predict the future, but a disaster would be more manageable with less children.

Again, this is just my personal decision, got no problem with people who have big families.

No. I had children without thinking about the benefits I’d receive for them. I’m really shocked people would have children based on this.

We had 3 before the cap. I would’ve had 3 if there was a cap then. UC means we now get something like £66 a month. There’s no point in even claiming anymore for us.

Gosh as a woman who is vet much against the welfare state. I am shocked that people consider having children purely for financial gain.

And no we opted out of claiming any benefits and child benefit.

Possibly. We have 2 and although we always said we would have 3 after dc2 I got stuck into training and working my way into a new career so dc3 was put on hold until the age gap between dcs would have been very difficult. We don't claim anything except child benefit and could afford another child now but the lack of safety net should anything go wrong scared me enough not to go for it. I don't know if we would have decided to have another child or not tbh but the benefit cap was definitely a consideration.

Beaver no-one has said they would consider having children purely for financial gain. 😂The question (and some of the answers) was whether people would have considered a third pre cap, but not after. Two very, very different points.

Gosh Beaverhausen, I am guessing if life suddenly changed for the worst you would hold that same moral ground and just let your children starve eh?

No of course you wouldn't ....so your comment is bloody smug and stupid.

Good for you...you currently need NO benefits. Long may that continue.

But if you ever DID need them then you would claim...same as every other holier than thou poster in this thread.

I no longer need them but I am bloody grateful they were there when I did.

And no..
Benefit cap wouldn't have made any difference to my decision which was one child.

we would love a third but financially it would be really tough. We both work and get child benefit but not tax credits. my DH was made redundant many years ago and tax credits kept us afloat until he found work again. We only had one dc then so it does need considering how we would cope with 3 if one of us is out of work.