Tax childless adults

[Acidburn]

Hi all

Just saw the below article on LBC news:

www.lbc.co.uk/news/childless-tax-birthrate-uk-cost-of-living-paul-morland/

AIBU to think that this insane?

Invest in early years education and family support for the children born to shitty parents

We have free 15 hours for 2 year olds born to vulnerable families... Does this make those parents "shitty" or vulnerable and is there even a difference in your opinion?

It can be an extra push to some, thinking of where their dc might grow up. Educated migrants included.

I moved to the U.K. without desperation but because I’m attracted to big city living, many of my friends did too.

But I think shifts will happen and more will seek U.K. for climate reasons too

@chiffchaffchiff what's that got to do with my point though? Of course the idea in the OP is nonsense.

Leaving having children until older is often driven by men. You can't force a man to have a child earlier.
Also the extending of teenagehood into the twenties leads to a delay in having children.

Yes Japan is innovative, they have produced robots to deal with labour shortages and also for the elderly. A lot of things here will need less people to run them self serve tills, and also supermarkets where you just pick up your shopping and automatically get charged. Self driving cars etc

Yes - my response to that line was "oh f**k off!!"

Because putting the responsibility of producing a new generation should not be put on womens f*ing shoulders.

Excuse the swearing, I don't usually but it really angered me.

I felt more undervalued and disrespected as woman in our society in the last few years tha I ever thought possible in the C21st.

@MarshaBradyo but your type of immigration is attractive, people fleeing less so. We have labour shortages now because we are less attractive. I also think we need to plan for the demographic shift now as opposed to assuming the immigrants arriving in twenty years will "save us".

I fear the plan is to make women have more dc.

Because putting the responsibility of producing a new generation should not be put on womens f*ing shoulders.

That seems to be the rhetoric which I find very worrying.

This is not the case, fertility doesn't wane with age. There is no cliff edge at 35.

As if men aren’t trying to control women’s bodies enough already.

in practice this idea is unworkable though. Unless you impose the tax on everyone as soon as they start working, and then become exempt if, as and when you have children?

A lot of things here will need less people to run them self serve tills, and also supermarkets where you just pick up your shopping and automatically get charged. Self driving cars etc

What will happen to the low skilled part of the workforce?

This is not the case, fertility doesn't wane with age. There is no cliff edge at 35.. There is for some people. Fertility varies.

THIS

I don’t think labour shortages are because we are less attractive?

It’s a post pandemic phenomenon that is not just for U.K. I was laughing with family in Aus because we said where did everyone go - they have the same. Plus other countries do too.

The U.K. will be attractive and increasingly so due to climate change. Managing that will be difficult but I doubt the draw here will be the issue.

I don’t want the burden or push to fall on women either and find the idea in op abhorrent for a fair few reasons.

Have you read the comment I responded to?

I never wanted children and now I'm nearly 50 I sure as hell ain't going to have one now.
I've also spent nearly 30 years contributing to your children's births, education, healthcare etc. I think I've done my bit. I'm earned the right to have my bum wiped thank you very much.

As it is, if I the unlikely event this disgusting and divisive idea ever comes to fruition then I'll actually take my tax and fuck off to another country where I'm not treated as a second class citizen for not reproducing.

I mean that rather depends on how climate change affects the UK itself. I think there’s a high change larger land masses will be more attractive simply just to cope with changes in food and water availability. The UK is very vulnerable to flooding (which doesn’t necessarily mean anything good for potable water availability) and not particularly well set up to feed the people it’s got currently. I think immigration due to climate change is going to be consciously choosing locations that ensure sustainability.

I'm already paying tax that goes towards subsiding parents' child benefit, schools etc that I don't partake in, your pregnancy care and children's medical care, free nursery hours, defaulted student loans etc etc. Perhaps once upon a time those without kids were more of a financial cost in retirement, but that is no more as I'll be made to sell my house to fund care. I believe in paying taxes for services that aren't 'for me' for the good of society, but do not tax me more when I am already taking far less out of the system than those with children.

What an absolute gobshite of an idea.
so because i am unable to have kids, i should be punished further for it?

Japan are innovative. They introduced a law recently that big companies allow workers to stay on the job until they are 70, up from 65 previously. They also introduced a care insurance scheme 20 yrs ago. I believe thats funded by premiums that are put on all citizens over 40. They also overhauled how their healthcare system. We could learn a lot from them.

Also WHY is it that those who support these stupid ideas are always the same people who say we need to control immigration because too many people are in the country already? Surely if I have kids that's just more competition for the schools and medical services I'm constantly told are massively oversubscribed and failing?

Ahhh I get it. They DO want more people in the country...they want more WHITE people.

No thats not the flip side to not taxing childless people more

It may be the flip side to not taxing everyone more

It may be the flipside to not coming up with a more imaginative solution

But not charging the childless more than their fair share of tax doesn't directly lead to people not having a retirement and euthanasia

I'm earned the right to have my bum wiped thank you very much.

By you of course!

@Threepeonies where did I say the tax the childless was a good idea? I was responding to a point specifically about longer life expectancy but not healthier life expectancy

It's an opinion.
The childless already pay enough tax.
I couldn't afford to have more children & with hindsight I would have stopped at 1, which would have allowed be a chance of some pension saving.
The largest expenditures in the UK need looking at firts starting with affordable secure housing.