‘Two-child limit taking toll on family life’

[SweetMelodies]

www.itv.com/news/2019-06-25/two-child-limit-taking-toll-on-family-life-study-suggests/

So the first detailed research into families effected by the 2-child policy, where tax credits are only paid for the first two children unlike in the past when it was every child, has taken place and has found that families are suffering as a direct result of this.

A lot of comments on SM seem to forget that many many working families are effected as well. Even some families with ‘above-average’ incomes used to be entitled to tax credits for a third or subsequent child.

Any thoughts on this? I have mixed feelings as to whether it will work on in the long-run or not. Of course we all know families who have carried on having babies with no thought because each child has meant another monthly tax credits sum... but then there are also the families who are going to face one unplanned pregnancy that could push them into poverty and make their other children suffer.

I see you just said she's 42..when did she marry him? It's extremely late in the day to have children surely? Obviously not impossible and nothing wrong with having them then but this relates to what I said about people leaving it way too late to settle down. Life happens though and I hope your friend gets to be a mum but I don't see how punishing the children of the poorest helps people like your friend, seems a very spiteful way to think on your part.

Shinesweetfreedom, using * * before/after the sentence.

us poor are still having our families. Lol
Lol, yes, because it's hilarious! What a laugh that parents are choosing to have more children they can't afford because they are broody and being broody is a good enough reason to have more kids.

I would like to point out here that I don’t get any benefits, even child benefit, and I have 2 children and don’t plan more.
However, I can see that we live in a country where there are working poor, in this part of the country housing costs are astronomical. Why should those people not have children? To think they should is shocking

She's 42 now. It's too late, unless she lives the man she adores and tries her luck with the first one she finds. If they'd had the funds to try when they found out they needed ivf instead of saving for 4 years, after paying their taxes, there's a decent chance that she too would be able to enjoy being a mum right now.

I never moaned this policy doesn't effect me. I actually think three ivf rounds should be offered to people like your friend, it seems another risk of not settling down till late but I accept some don't meet the right man, there are some who spend their fertile years living extended adolescence both men and women and that's a lifestyle choice unlike being poor or in an abusive relationship or having a contraceptive failure.

Life happens though and I hope your friend gets to be a mum but I don't see how punishing the children of the poorest helps people like your friend, seems a very spiteful way to think on your part it's not the government t or tax payers who are punishing them, it's they own selfish careless parents.

But they can afford them. They don't have a huge mortgage, flash finance car or used to a lifestyle of constant meals out, holidays etc. They cut their cloth pretty normal here and as I will say again many of us hustle well.

swingofthings the sheer bloody cheek of 2eternities berating posters for being spiteful and lacking empathy when they have just posted what they have in response to you and as for finishing their posts with lol, says it all really.

I think @2eternities must be on a wind up, if not, I really do despair.

I do think people deserving of benefits should get them and enough to manage on but they don't do they?

Have children and money is almost thrown at you. Have disabilities but no children and tough shit get on with it.

A friend of mine is about to lose her rented 1 bed flat because according to those so called medical experts she is fit enough to work. Their criteria was that she managed to walk into their office unaided and she was clean, tidy and articulate!

Some days she can barely get out of bed but they don't care about that. She will be homeless and they know that but, again, they don't care. She obviously made a mistake in not having children!

We decided not to have children and DH had a vasectomy when he was 26. I was 28. We had no children but just pestered our GP

2eternities
There you go then,
5 kids,only one working.See you can make ends meet,without endless extra benefits.

BTW not every benefit claimant is in the same position depends how much support they have some have lots of help financial and practical some have none, makes all the difference. Me and DP regularly get electrics phones etc costing hundreds just given to use for example. Last week we got a 300 I pod and docking station and a memory foam mattress for a king size that was a few hundred all brand new. Benefits Didn't pay for any of it. Many claimants have none of this and are vulnerable. Not that you'd care lol!

Cheers swing on the quote thingy

But they can afford them. No need for extra help from taxpayers then is there? Which is the point posters have been making over and over again, have as many children as you like but the onus is on you (general you) to provide for them.

Money is not being taken away from people who have more than two children they are just not receiving any more money directly from the public purse.

lol off 2eternities.

They do get benefits that was the whole point lol!! HB tax credits are benefits.

2eternities these innocent children, have parents who should take care of them. It's not the whole societies responsibility to finance every single child that is born.
And the child is not punished. The child still has full access to all services including NHS and education and benefits once an adult. Just the parents won't get any additional financial help for the 3rd or any subsequent child. They are still able to get UC or housed by the council of needed.
You know nothing about my background, but yes I can tell you, that I am a firm believer in helping yourself, if you are unhappy with your situation. And that can include a time on benefits, as a safety net. But it should not be taken for granted or made into a life choice. And that is where taking responsibility for yourself comes in. So yes, call me bitter, twisted and judgemental. But face it, this won't reverse the governments 2 child policy.

@2eternities, can't you see the hypocrisy that is spanning from your posts. You ruthlessly belittled your friemd who was claiming benefits despite living with her well off parents saying that people like that shouldn't be entitled to benefits yet keep going on a out how your dad is giving you much money out of guilt. From your analogy, you shouldn't get any tax credits if your dad can afford to support you.

Shinesweetfreedom, you're welcome, pity I couldn't use it properly myself :)

Well, great, so if one person working on a low wage in ASDA can afford kids, fail to see what your objection to the policy is then .

So 2entities
I am not quite sure what you mean by hustle,one definition I found was fraud or swindle.So you mean you nick stuff,or buy stolen goods.Or what do you mean

Or did you think benefits are only for the dreaded scrounger or something rofl

I have two opposing thoughts; on one hand, I think if you want children then you should be responsible for paying for them. But on the other hand, life can change in an instance from bereavement, relationship breakdowns or job redundancy.

It is actually a very popular policy with both Labour and Tory voters, surveys show. I support it too (particularly as a single mother who was stripped of child benefit, never had a tax credit in my life, nothing, ziplch and we spent 50% of each of our full time salaries when I went back to work full time with a 2 week year old.

Read my post above everyone's circumstances are different different family and support systems etc so not all families will suffer but many will it really depends on different factors unfortunately worse hit will be those who bought their home etc and fell on hard times as they may have had kids when they could afford it but now can't and HB is for rent not mortgage. The actual scrounging types people want to see suffer are usually OK since they usually `hustle' ie have contacts buy knock off from shoplifters etc most don't have high standards for their lives anyway I have found. I havw to write quickly since I'm busy in the home atm but sorry if anyone has got the wrong end of the stick. And the cap applies to new claims no matter when the child was born so yeah will hit ordinary 'hardworking' people the worse since benefits won't pay their mortgage when one gets redundant sick dies etc etc. Happens

Well, the message is loud and clear then, don't have more than 2 kids unless you are very rich or have extremely good insurance to cover all eventualities because benefits will only cover costs for 2 kids. Sounds entirely reasonable to me.