Should childcare be paid for and other benefits given just for having a child/children?

[Sunshine236]

Does everyone think childcare should be paid for?

It's controversial but why do some people feel entitled to be monetarily supplemented because they’ve had a child?

It’s surely a lifestyle choice and people should ensure they can afford to have children?

For sure there should absolutely be a safety net for those who have had children and circumstances change seeing them need urgent support, but I’ve read people earning £100k are receiving some kind of support each month and now we're looking to provide further free childcare.

There are so many other issues such as social care, NHS funding etc that need funding which money could go towards, rather than supplementing people who are already receiving a decent salary just because they’ve had a child/children?

@ItsRainingPens yes absolutely the government isn't going to stop something that brings in money why would they? That was just an example though... can you see my point? What would happen if people were only treated upon who was "worthy". People willingly take drugs and are overweight I noticed you didn't comment on those things 😆

Dr's know who have poor life style choices and end up with certain conditions as a result. I'm not going to debate with someone who "THINKS" they have been saving for their kids before time 🤣

So if people on 100K are getting a hand, that means they also “can’t afford” children. So who does that leave?

I have the feeling that some posters on here are somehow completely detached from the concept of society continuing or there being enough working age people to look after the elderly. Not quite sure what they envision (apart from wanting to drastically reduce population numbers).

And won’t acknowledge that free childcare is only given to people if they are working. Not to people claiming unemployment UC.

Care homes are well over £1500 per week. You must be a millionaire never mind 2 pension pots.

It may be that you're a net contributor, but if your life changes tomorrow and you cannot work, someone runs off with your savings etc, why should I contribute to your help you? Or people with illnesses that don't affect me? People who do sports and get injured? Old people who no longer offer a financial contribution to society?

Full time nursery fees are between £15-20k per year. So a child in nursery from 1-4yrs old is upto £80k per child.

The UK has the most expensive childcare fees in the world......so basically you think only the very very wealthy should have children and you can't see an issue with that with regards

• diversity
• families
• women's careers
• aging population

Right.....

I assume every single one of you "lifestyle" choices doesn't cost the state? Because otherwise what raging hypocrites some of you would be.

Well some people get 15 hours at 2, many people feel particularly aggrieved at the attempt to level up early years provision for kids from poorer backgrounds.

"They can get national insurance contributions though?"

What contributions? For what?

Arguably they could make different life choices to afford them. If we earnt 100k on our lifestyle I could afford 50k a year in childcare (2 preschoolers and 1 primary). But I rent, don't drive, holiday in a free house in Wales, my most extravagant outlay is the theatre but otherwise we don't fancy weekends away or restaurants etc.

In 2021, the goverment subsidised the railways - that you commute on - £13.3 billion. So yes, we are 'funding shit for you'.

Err, where did I say that? But if someone will be looking after you at some point, it‘ll most likely be other people‘s children.
I didn’t say that when people decide to have children, they’re doing it primarily for others, yet without those children any society will collapse sooner or later.

Read my whole comment before you decide to throw a bitch fit.

If we earnt 100k on our lifestyle I could afford 50k a year in childcare (2 preschoolers and 1 primary).

No you couldn’t. How much is left post-tax and NI for a £100,000 income? How much is unsubsidised childcare for three children per year?

LIFESTYLE CHOICE
what exactly DO people mean by this phrase?

They aren’t paying for it to be nice. They are doing it for economic reasons. We need people to have kids to pay for our retirement (aging population issue). They need people to go back to work to keep the economy going.

I have twins. When I was ttc I was trying for one baby with full intention of going back to work. Now I can’t because all my wages will be going on childcare. So I believe in my circumstances there should be help available. However with one child I don’t know if childcare costs should be completely covered. There perhaps should be means tested help.

It’s not being done because the Tories love to help women out, it’s to try and force more women to work more hours - I suspect it’ll be linked to UC, rather than given to those currently funding childcare via their own salaries alone.

Personally I’m nihilistic and I don’t think continuing the baby pyramid scheme will get us anywhere except closer to mass extinction, so I’m not in favour of any policies that encourage population growth. I would prefer better immigration policies and voluntary euthanasia.

I also think most people overstate the societal benefit of their own kids. Most of the sectors cited as being the destination for all the posters’ kids are desperately under-resourced (care staff, teachers, nurses, doctors) because few people want to work in those roles. Chances are all these kids aren’t going to feel much different when they’re grown.

Plus most people end up net takers from the state rather than contributors so plenty of those kids are going to end up making things worse rather than better.

But hey, nothing is gonna stop people from breeding so it’s a pretty moot point.

I don’t think YABU or YANBU to be honest. I mean, YABU to not want to fund things that stop kids living in poverty but YANBU to want someone other then “hard working families” to be helped for once.

Which group of people get their entire childcare covered? I have an only child and I don't know about this.

Brilliant answer…. Yes to all this. Agreed.

Also… “a lifestyle choice”

you mean raising the next generation who will pay their taxes to pay for you and look after you when you become old and become doctors, police. I see it more as a contribution to society and humanity

This would also depend very much where in the country you live.

its £65 k after tax.

$100k is really not that much after taxes, rent/mortgage, transportation, utilities, food, clothing. Especially if you are living in an area with higher costs, which is usually the case when you have higher earnings. Not always, but usually. Obviously, people do get by with much less, but that is not really the point.
Which is all moot, because who are any of us to say that somebody else does not have the right to procreate and doesn't also have the right to earn money. Because in order to work, someone must watch the child/ren. Which means that if a family or person does not earn enough money to pay for childcare, society as a whole must make up the difference or tell the person that they either have to not work or not have children. Having children and not being able to work leads to poverty most of the time.
So, some people say to others, "just don't have children." But those people forget that people are required to do jobs. Jobs those people have relied on, do rely on, and will rely on in the future. Many governments are already lightly panicking over the fact that the birth rates have been going down. Now, you can attempt to solve this problem like conservatives in the USA by forcing women to give birth and forcing (mostly) women out of the workforce to take care of said children or you can do it like a civilized country and entice families to have children with free/reduced childcare, healthcare for said families, paid leave to take care of said children, etc.

My husband and I have one child because that is what we can afford. Our monthly childcare bill for 5 days per week is £1489; I earn £1690pcm. This means I work full time for £200 per month; in many ways I would be better off staying at home as these figures don’t factor my commuting costs etc however I have a strong work ethic and value the experiences my son has at nursery. As it is, we will not benefit from this as it isn’t beginning to come in until April 24 but it would have been great if this helped now. The point of this is that most parents would happily lose £200 per month to spend the time with their children and not have to work and this is bad for the economy. I can’t wait until we are entitled to some support in January so we can go back to the lifestyle of affording some treats (as two full time working parents should be able to!)

@Sunshine236 can you reference sources for your figures and free childcare please. None of them are my understanding of how much people get. But I may of course be mistaken.

Some very neo Marxist liberals on this thread are throwing so much hate towards hard working parents choosing to have children which is good for the future of this country, planet and humanity. Yes, we are having children for greater good and working hard to give them a great life to raise them to be good humans. Now suck it up !