To not be saving child benefit

[cadburyegg]

So we have 2 DC, one 3yo the other 4mo. We claim child benefit for them. It goes into our joint account and helps a little with our daily expenses. I have worked part time since the 3yo was born so it’s helpful.

In laws came over last night and somehow this topic came up. MIL was aghast that we are not saving it up for the children when they are older. We do save for them but only a small amount per month. Her words were “you’re not poor so you should be saving it up for their first car or similar”. Well no we aren’t poor but we aren’t rich.

I thought child benefit was supposed to help with the cost of raising kids not be a saving fund for them? AIBU??

[bella2bella]

Yanbu. Ours just goes into the family pot. We save a small amount for children and that will go up once childcare is less expensive but I don't ring fence child benefit to pay for anything in particular.

[Shumpalumpa]

My opinion is if you can afford to save the child benefit you shouldn’t be allowed to claim it as clearly you don’t need it. It’s not up to the goverment to provide savings for people, goverment help should be to make sure the child’s current needs are met ( I.e rent, food, clothing etc)

Disagree totally. Some people are not well off but frugal and do without things. Those people should not be penalised by having child benefit taken away from them.

[bookmum08]

I got my Child Benefit Tuesday. One child. £82. Today is Thursday. I have £20 left. I did a supermarket shop.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Tell your MIL that if she wants to regularly contribute to their savings if she wants.... if she says no, ask her why not as she’s rich enough to be able to?
As for ours it’s goes on feeding and clothing our son.

[mumsastudent]

silly woman! arrogant too! The money is towards the upkeep of the children & that can be for the food you eat or whatever the family needs nb the family! did you know originally it was re directed from tax concessions on the dads salary & it was decided that the mother should instead be given this because she needed control of such money? If you MIL thinks kids need to have money later she should pay it /and save it on their behalf - no one has the right to say exactly how a family's finance should be used from outside the immediate family its self

[greendale17]

pinkheart I agree. Anyone who is solvent enough to save their child benefit shouldn't be getting it.

^I disagree completely.

[GuestWW]

@HairDyedPink interesting viewpoint. I think if the threshold is attained then you likely have quite secure finances. We don't receive it in this house. I don't begrudge it of those who do - paying taxes to help others is what living in a society is about.

[Wellthisunexpected]

If you can't afford to house them, clothe them and feed them without it, then of course you should be using it to do that.

Having said that, we do save ours specifically for DS - we budgeted for kids without the CB so for us it's not necessary, but if one of us lost our jobs or there was a very large unforeseen bill I wouldn't hesitate to use those savings.

[bringincrazyback]

YANBU, you're using the child benefit money for its prescribed purposes. It seems like a lot of people who save it end up using it for something that doesn't really benefit the child. (The most extreme case of this I ever heard of was someone using saved child benefit for the deposit on a second house, not for said children to live in when older or anything logical like that, but to rent out for their own profit. Didn't seem to occur to them that they were essentially stealing from their own children.)

[Thymelord]

I wouldn't be able to put food on the table without it. Some months i'm counting down the days until it arrives! If you can save it, great but I personally don't know anybody who does.

[GreenMeerkat]

YANBU. I need mine and I use it to help with expenses.

When I go back to work full time and start earning more I will save it.

[summermeadows]

We have always used our CB to pay for items for our DC.
A number of years ago it popped up in conversation with my MIL, she said the same as your MIL - that they saved it for their youngest child and was pretty disgusted that we used ours for essentials!
Way to go MIL to make us feel even more crap than we already did about having to use it..

[Mumto2two]

Firstly...it’s none of your in laws business.
But I have to agree, if people don’t need it, they shouldn’t be getting it. And the salary threshold will certainly seem less generous to those living in and around London. There are many families struggling on the same salary down here, that would very much welcome that money. While friends I know living elsewhere and earning less, are comfortably able to stockpile it for a rainy day.

[Seafoodeatit]

YANBU, it's for the benefit of the child hence the name, how you think it would best benefit them is completely up to you.

[HairDyedPink]

GuestWW
It's more that I begrudge NOT receiving anything. We are entitled to less childcare vouchers, no child benefit but we pay the same tax or more let's face it
The system is ridiculously unfair.

[HollowTalk]

Don't forget your MIL would have had CB for your husband when he was young. Tell him to ask for his savings fund now!

[GuestWW]

@HairDyedPink I am more inclined to agree with you having read the other posts about families saving it.

[strawberrisc]

What the actual eff (in work and swear words flag up) does it have to do with her? Don't you just love unsolicited advice?

[unintentionalthreadkiller]

@hairdyedpink - totally agree with you.

[GreenMeerkat]

@HairDyedPink I agree with you.

Despite being nowhere near the high levels of income to not qualify, I think it's completely unfair that you should have to pay more tax and not actually be entitled to the same benefits as everyone else. Everybody should get child benefit and if you are able to save it up for your child, great! Shouldn't mean you are not entitled to it.

[PurpleTigerLove]

If anyone saves their child benefit then they are obviously providing for their child from their own income.
How do you decide if someone needs it or not ? The threshold for receiving it is the same . Two parents choose to spend £50 a month each on mobile phones or takeaway coffees therefore needing the child benefit to buy clothes or shoes for their kids . Another couple don’t spend on phones or coffees so can therefore afford to save the child benefit . Neither couple is more deserving than the other . If you’re below the threshold you can claim it , what you do with is no one business .

[PurpleTigerLove]

Mumto2 what you describe is based on choices , nothing else .

[Iamtryingtobenicehere]

@Pinkheart says everything that needs saying with this.

My opinion is if you can afford to save the child benefit you shouldn’t be allowed to claim it as clearly you don’t need it. It’s not up to the goverment to provide savings for people, goverment help should be to make sure the child’s current needs are met ( I.e rent, food, clothing etc)

[MrsPreston11]

Pays for clubs etc here.

[MargaretCavendish]

It seems like a lot of people who save it end up using it for something that doesn't really benefit the child. (The most extreme case of this I ever heard of was someone using saved child benefit for the deposit on a second house, not for said children to live in when older or anything logical like that, but to rent out for their own profit. Didn't seem to occur to them that they were essentially stealing from their own children.)

How is this stealing from the children? If they were not providing them with the necessities so they could save up for a second house that's wrong, but that's true of any parent not providing adequately when they're able to. Child benefit is just part of the general household pot; why is it wrong to say 'we'll save this particular £80 a month for the house deposit' but ok to say 'we'll save this other £80 from our income for the house deposit'? The outcome is exactly the same either way.