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?

Totally agree. So offer attractive immigration to fill skills gaps. We have lots of them. And stop the cultural climate of anti-immigration that makes it unattractive for many skilled workers to move here.
We need to be a high skilled economy. We do not have the skills anyway to achieve this.
I would also offer very attractive tax breaks to any immigrant wanting to come here and set up their own business who is under 30 years of age.

The one major thing stopping us having children is not having some where stable to live due to being in the private rent trap.

And of course the cost of hopefully one day getting a mortgage will mean we won't be able to afford children due to the childcare costs/mortgage needing two working people to pay. I don't know how anyone thinks young people could have children when they don't even have somewhere secure to live!

I think a lot more needs to be done to discourage people from having large families. No child benefit for a third or subsequent children would be a start. Paid maternity allowance for only up to two children. Thd world population is growing at an alarming rate. Less people equals less pollution and more food to go round.

The people who usually have larger families in the UK would not be discouraged by finances. my DH attended an ultra orthodox jewish primary school which charged fees as they didn't teach the national curriculum. He had 3 siblings and his family was the smallest in his class as most have 5-7 children. So even the burden of school fees and the cost of housing in London doesn't dissuade them, never mind the paltry child benefit. There were bursaries in that school, but my MIL did not qualify despite earning very little so most people would probably have paid full school fees. Byearing in mind that many men in that community learned full time and their wives' work had to centre around childcare so earning power is v limited but yet they have so many children for whom they have to fund school fees and weddings for. This was in the 1990s but they aren't having fewer children even today.

The people who plan their families on the basis of finances would have shrunk their families to 1-2 children or possibly none.

Nope

Ridiculous. I don’t understand either. Class sizes are bigger than ever, there aren’t enough school places. How on earth is there a plummeting birth rate?

my eldest is 31 and doesn’t want children, my middle one is 16 and saying she doesn’t want them either. Of course this may change but I support them 100% on this!

I know through one part of my family a number of very devout Christians who do not use contraception. Finance makes zero difference. "God will provide". They all have very large families. And are extremely poor.

I think class sizes will be affected by teacher shortages and lack of funding more than birth rates @Goldencarp .

My MIL once told me 1 child costs the same as 4 children, hence 4 is the perfect number! She also told me I didn't need to move to a bigger flat as I didn't have any DC yet and was only planning on one. I told her that it was precisely why I am trying to move before I have a baby as the bank doesn't think that children are cheap and would factor that in.

It would be alien to them to plan children around life; they just have them and pray for the best!

I wasn’t sure what the situation was so googled re population

The UK population, which was estimated to be 67.1 million in mid-2020, is projected to rise by 2.1 million to 69.2 million over the decade to mid-2030 (3.2% increase). In comparison, between 2010 and 2020 the population is estimated to have grown by 4.3 million (6.9% increase).

it has increased, including immigration

@onthefencesitter I think the idea that some people do not plan their families is an alien one too many people.
Although unless I was totally destitute, being poorer would not have stopped me from having the two children I have. I do think some things in life you just have to go for.

If you live in a country with a benefits system then god will provide means the state will provide. Doesn't work if you live in the developing world.

Class sizes aren't bigger than ever. It completely depends where you live.

I know kids in primary classes of around 20.

Some are in areas where people don't live anymore as they are priced out - there are lots of empty homes which are owned by foreign investors and second homes. Others in places where you think there should be more children but due to the decrease in birth rate since 2016 there are simply less children.

Sorry I should add I observed this then looked at the census figures. census.gov.uk/

If we tax the childless for not adding productive workers to the economy, then it seems fair to tax the parents of children who don't grow up to be productive members of society. In fact they should be taxed even more, for adding a drain on the economy to the population 😂

You only get benefits for 2 children, that has been the case since 2016/17

@FortonServices you mean you can tax the parents of city bankers more?

Never going to happen. 😀

Given the stat below re earning to be a contributor and needing to be in top whatever percent basically most of us are drains

but then everyone hates the top percent on here so not much left for anyone that is liked 😆

Well given those city bankers will already be paying a shed load of tax, no.

Let's face it, the parents of those children who end up being drains on society aren't earning enough to pay tax anyway. So that's never going to happen either. Which is why disadvantaging the childless is a stupid idea.

The exact point at which abortions started rocketing.

Yep precisely

Although I was rather 🙄that anyone still buys into the 'having lots of children to claim benefits' trope, I thought that one had died out.

Ridiculous. I don’t understand either. Class sizes are bigger than ever, there aren’t enough school places. How on earth is there a plummeting birth rate?

That's not true. Some schools in London have closed due to lack of pupils. I think Southwark has a funding shortfall for 16 schools.

but then everyone hates the top percent on here so not much left for anyone that is liked

True

Why is it that every 'issue' has to be fixed by us paying more tax? It's just the go to answer for everything. We pay more than enough tax already.

where else will more money come from?

I think income tax is high enough & I would reduce VAT. I would bring CGT in line with income tax & look at IHT