To ask why child benefits is means tested in England?Do you agree?

[ddshocker]

Just that really? Why is it means tested in the U.K.? Do you think this is fair considering the financial abuse some women can be suffer even if their dh is a high learner!
In Ireland it's not means tested at all and it is double the U.K. amount...why is the U.K. so adamant in making it unfair!?

@MingeofDeath

I used to work at the Child Benefit Centre in Washington when a claim from a very famous footballer and his popstar- now- fashion -designer wife but in a claim for CB. The news went round the place like wildfire.

It shouldn't have, such things should be dealt with confidentially regardless of how people feel. It's a good job the Washington Child Benefit staff were not doctors or lawyers.

I think it depends. My older two are not my husbands children. He is a high earner and provides which is fabulous but it also means that I don't get child benefit for them. Their father pays minimal child support.

I don't know much about CB myself but I recall in late 80s a couple I knew with 2 young children (under 5), she was a close friend - they didn't need it at all and she said she used her CB for her hair colour/cut appointments!

If the state benefits from population reproduction, then it should not be means-tested.
If the state is not interested, then it should not pay the child benefit at all.
The rest are non-important details.

@MingeofDeath

I used to work at the Child Benefit Centre in Washington when a claim from a very famous footballer and his popstar- now- fashion -designer wife but in a claim for CB. The news went round the place like wildfire.

They were in a fickle line of work, some like them end up bankrupt so it would have been worth claiming in order to protect a further state pension. They also pay huge amounts into the system and probably take very little. Also shouldn’t have been gossip in your office!

Because if someone has sufficient money they don't need the extra money @ddshocker .

To give an extreme example, if billionaires got child benefit that'd just be a waste of the UK's money, as they don't need it.

I agree 50k is not wealthy...comfortable yes but not wealthy
Everything would probably be more than average in terms of their payments too...
Earnings would be approx 3500
Mortgage 1000
Other bills 600
Car expenses x2 600
Food 550
That's 750 left for clothing, gifts, kids classes, health costs, emergencies, any savings they want to make...they could very well have nothing left at the end of the month.

@me4real

Because if someone has sufficient money they don't need the extra money *@ddshocker* .

To give an extreme example, if billionaires got child benefit that'd just be a waste of the UK's money, as they don't need it.

But if the cost of administering the system by which you ensure no billionaires receive it (and really, we’re not talking about billionaires because they are few and far between, we’re talking about large numbers of people earning just over the threshold) costs more than just making it a universal entitlement, isn’t that a bigger waste of money?

@me4real how many billionaires (that have children) actually are there in the U.K.? Not that many...and the amount of tax they pay would more than bloody offset it!! Ffs...

It’s not means tested in Ireland but absolutely should be - and I say this as a high earner in Ireland with 3 children.

No, I don't think it should be. As a high earner, I'm paying so much taxes and never getting anything. At least now that I have a child I'm getting this petty 140 euro per month! 😄 I can buy a few extra toys for my child with it!
By the way, nobody has to apply for a child benefit, so if you feel like you don't want it, you can put you actions where your mouth is and refuse it.

The UK is the only developed country which taxes on a purely individual level so a single person earning say fifty thousand pounds a year will pay the same amount of tax as a person earning the same amount and also supporting an unmarried SAHP and two dependent children. (Forty thousand after tax is roughly median income for a four person family).

The Conservatives have introduced a small tax benefit for married couples in which one partner is not working but there is still no recognition in the tax system for the number of children you have to support.

That being the case I never had any qualms about collecting my child benefit before it was removed.

@me4real 8i can't imagine a billionaire wasting 30 minutes of their time applying for fucking child benefit. They would earn more in that 30mins in interest off of their savings/investments.

For instance if there was £100 lying on the pavement bill gates wouldn't bother wasting his time picking it up as he would earn more in that second it took him to pick it up...

I'd be more up in arms about pensions being means tested to be honest. My dad is entitled to full state pension but his private pension is over £60,000 a year (triple my salary). There is no way he needs it at all (fully admits this and goes to charity). £80pcm for a child is nothing comparatively and it's for a finite period.

Child benefit was the only benefit I ever claimed. My children are grown now but it seems unfair that there will be so many who don't claim any other benefit yet pay a lot in taxes. I think it would be fairer if those people got at least child benefit. They have to pay high nursery fees too.

Yes everyone should get it.
And the limit is not being raised. So eventually lots of people will not get it.

Personally I just wish they would give all children free school meals regardless of age and free school uniform. That way all children would genuinely benefit.

Don't know why people are comparing it to Ireland though.
Kids in Ireland need to buy all their own school books where UKs are supplied by schools.

Ireland? If so I’d expect double the amounts considering the stance on abortion up until recently. Any country that forces women to have babies they don’t want should be paying 100% of the costs.

Lol, I wish. 140 euro per month (with is what child benefit is in Ireland) doesn't even scratch the surface of covering the costs of raising a child.

It is a stupid system and discriminates against single parents. DH and I are over the limit in combined income, and we don't use childcare either, but because we split our household income of over 60k between two people we get full CB. A single parent on 60.5k (less than us) with childcare costs wouldn't. They should.

The stuff about it being justified because of two lots of tax paid is wrong too. There's no requirement for both to be earning enough to pay tax to get CB, and indeed we received it when I wasn't. As things stand, if one partner is on 49k and the other on 12k, the family will be entitled to full CB, potentially childcare help from the state too, and the lower earner won't be paying any income tax. Meanwhile, our 60.5k single parent has the same household income on paper but gets only one personal allowance and no CB.

In Sweden even the king and queen got CB as it's for the kids and not the parents.

@Simonjt

I thought it was just means tested in England?

We can’t claim it, we don’t need it, if someone on a household income of £50k struggles to lose such a small amount of money they will be mismanaging their finances.

Although I am curious as to how much money the new system actually saves the government.

How can you make such a sweeping statement about mismanagement?

I’m a single parent who earns just under the threshold but will miss the payment if and when I progress in my career. I can assure you that I manage my money very well.

Sadly in my experience when financial abuse is going on they don’t leave the benefits untouched.

@MissMaple82

High earners don't need benefits. It is perfectly fair.

There is very little incentive to become a “high earner” these days!

My DH recently had a promotion and has just tipped the £100k mark. I earn £16k. We obviously don’t get CB, but we are financially and emotionally significantly worse off following his pay rise. He pays a staggering amount of tax, we can’t have the tax free childcare system anymore, my daughter no longer gets her 30 free hours at nursery so our childcare bills are approaching £1700 some months despite one child being in school. He works long hours so I can’t get promoted myself because someone has to be available to pick up from out of school club by 6pm and do the 7:30am drop offs. His salary comes with high stress levels and loss of time with the family.

We don’t live in a big house, don’t have flashy cars and don’t go on big foreign holidays. I hate the opinion on Mumsnet that “high earners” are loaded.

Although I think a system where the cut off point is slightly higher per child would be more helpful. Someone with one child on £50k will presumably have more extra money than someone with four children on 50k.

@caringcarer

Personally I just wish they would give all children free school meals regardless of age and free school uniform. That way all children would genuinely benefit.

This I agree with !