What are tax credits for

[Bugsareinthebrook]

My BIL has just changed his job to something with less Responsibility (so less pay) and dropped to 4 hours a week purely for more family time. This allows him to claim tax credits to ‘top up his money’. His partner is a sahm so it’s not for childcare. I can’t but help feel that is not what tax credits are for and that basically as people who work hard and always have our tax is going to him while we work our guts out. .
I’m happy to be flames but I don’t think it’s fair.
What are working and child tax credits for?

you sound mean. it's nothing to do with you. People on benefits don't have to prove their 'worthiness' to you!

Everyone pays into the tax system, you're not some sort of magical money unicorn carrying the financial burden of the entire country on your back.

Some people a lot of tax, some people pay only a little, but everybody pays. Even unemployed people pay in via the tax on goods and services that they buy, and let's not mention that some benefits are taxable too.

We all chip into the pot, we all benefit in some way from that pot. Our societal pot includes provision for those who are financially less well off. Why is that a bad thing? Poverty harms us all so you'd have to be a real miserly cunt to want to push more and more people into it.

@TaysteesGal

you sound mean. it's nothing to do with you. People on benefits don't have to prove their 'worthiness' to you!

this - just this!

I see various posts like this not just about benefits. Where the idea seems to be that people should both work full time flogging themselves, always knackered. Should we not aim for a society where a parent can work less so they have more time with their family and have better wellbeing? Is the issue actually op that you and your partner or husband both work very hard and you feel jealous about him being able to step away from this? It's like we're in a race to the bottom. You don't have a good work life balance so no one should.

BIL is also paying taxes.....or do his not count?

Income tax is only one form of taxation, there are plenty of others OP, nobody is exempt. Even electricity is taxable!

Clearly you don't like your BIL, but creating a weird thread about him, when you don't even know if he works full time or not shows this is really getting to you. If you are so envious maybe you should reflect on your own life and analyse what is getting you down about it?

Another question to ask is why can wages be so low that businesses can make millions in profit yet not pay a living wage?

@Bugsareinthebrook

Privilege lol no fucking idea absolutely none

So a person in your household is a higher-rate taxpayer and you want to convince us you've no privilege?

Bullshit.

DH and I are both higher-rate tax payers. I'd pay more tax if it ensured that nobody in the UK fell below the poverty threshold, and don't begrudge a penny of my taxes being spent supporting families in whatever guise it comes. I resent people who live with a certain level of privilege and refuse to acknowledge their fortune. Being privileged doesn't mean nothing bad happens, or that life's only ever good/kind/fun. It does mean that you're far less at risk of falling below that poverty threshold, that your family likely have enough to eat week to week, that you won't have to make a choice between heating your home or feeding your DC this winter. And by some standards, that's an absolute privilege.

@Plussizejumpsuit

Another question to ask is why can wages be so low that businesses can make millions in profit yet not pay a living wage?

^^ this with bells on.

Bored now

We did this - dropped to Part time work and tax credits increased. It’s only for a couple of years we plan to do this till I can go back to work and sometimes in difficult circumstances people need to make choices like this which is why the safety net of benefits is so important

Bored because not everyone is agreeing with you.

@notSureaboutT

We did this - dropped to Part time work and tax credits increased. It’s only for a couple of years we plan to do this till I can go back to work and sometimes in difficult circumstances people need to make choices like this which is why the safety net of benefits is so important

So one of you is already not working and the other dropped to part time work?

@Bugsareinthebrook

Bored now

Yet still reading the posts in the desperate hope one might join you on your crusade of benefits bashing...

Wow you are a very bitter person.
And you don’t personally pay for him to work less.

Make your own life better instead of worrying about others!

To top up wages !!!!!!

“Bored now”

Bored of the thread you started, bored because you’re getting your arse handed to you.

Bored, exactly bored and that's why you have so much time on your hands to judge others.
What a delight you are, maybe you should be an atos assessor, you'll love taking the disabled/depressed people's money away for no reason. Would be right up your alley, you can go home satisfied then that your taxes reach no one

From the tone of replies from OP I think we can assume this thread was made just to be a goady cunt.

If two mothers stay at home and look after their own child, both are unemployed.

If two mothers pay each other to look after their child, both are employed

But are the children better off in the care of their own parent or the other person ?

Tax credits allow people to work part time and look after their own children.
Is that so wrong ?