To feel like the government is robbing me via taxes... Child Benefit and single parent income

[oreo2020]

I am a single parent of 2 teenagers, live in London and have a professional job. The last 2 years have been so much harder financially, to a point where I am now doing a vocational training so I can work in the evenings / weekends to top up my income, this is on top of my challenging, long hours, civil service role at Grade 7. As I earn over 50k (but below 60k), I have to do tax returns and pay a big chunk of Child Benefit back.

I've just looked at inflation.. so CB for higher earners was introduced in 2013. The value of £50k then in 2013 is equivalent to £66.6k now, according to Bank of England Inflation Calculator. As a civil servant I barely had any pay increase since. There is £1500 one off pay that's coming for civil servants... when I deduct 40% tax, NI and the child benefit I will have to repay in relation to that, I get £650 worth out of £1500, for fuck's sake.

The government has shut down all attempts so far to increase the threshold or equalize it for single parents. It's just so unfair as I am trying my best to keep my head over the water. AIBU?

YABU
you are on 50k. you are getting a £650 one-off payment and you still get child benefit.
Many on a lot less just get to pay the taxes, no payrises and no one-off payments, no benefits.

I find it very hard to sympathise - sorry.

There is always (well since it was made non-universal) going to be a cut off which will feel unfair to the people at that cut off point. I am not sure what can be done about that - other than making it universal.

Sorry things are tough.

I think it is morally wrong that one person income over £50,000 has CB penalised, yet 2 people earning £49,000 each don't.

This!
It should be the same as every other benefit calculated on household income.

@kitsuneghost but I don't really get child benefit. I have to repay it nearly all back.

I never moaned about anything and always repaid what was due of CB back, until the most recent 2 years when I can really feel the pinch of inflation.. the Bank of England estimates that money value is by 33% less as compared to 10 years ago.

YANBU. I was a single parent for many years, always worked full time - and always felt penalised for it!

And the unfairness of the CB income rule is shocking!

YANBU, £50k sounds like a good income but for a single parent in London it's really not that much.
If the threshold was household income it would be easier to accept but as it does penalise single parents or single income households.

The threshold (wherever it is set) should be per household not person. Lone/single parents are disadvantaged otherwise.

The way child benefit, that I believe was originally intented to be provided to all children, regardless of their parents' means is administered is a disgrace.
As you say it was introduced in 2013, ironically the year my only child was born. I have never claimed it as I earn over the upper limit so would have to pay it all back. So on the one hand I have the means to support my child, but on the other I have to support my whole family because DH is too unwell to work. It still grates that it came in just as I had a child, and that a fit and healthy two parent household could earn more than I do between them yet be entitled to the full amount.
Child benefit is for the children, not the parents, it should be universal.

Is the father of your children not contributing towards their upkeep?

I am in the same position OP and it gives me the absolute rage.
Yes, you are on a decent salary, as am I. However as a single parent, my household income is basically the same as two parents working minimum wage jobs.
Yet because you're a "high earner" you get no help at all with any benefits.
I'm sure those posters saying you're really lucky and stop moaning, wouldn't say the same to two parents working full time on NMW. Plus, it's not a race to the bottom.
I absolutely feel like the squeezed middle. I earn too much for any help, yet mine is the ONLY income coming into the house for two children.

Could you pay more into your pension to bring you under the 50K and then you can keep the CB? This is what I do.

YANBU - vote Tory for higher taxes and lower benefits (unless mega rich like the PM).

Disagree, tbh £50k for a household isn't exactly mega bucks.

The child benefit thing is crazy to me. So my household brings in a fair bit more than 50k but neither of us earn more than 50k individually so we get it and yet OP who has less than us doesn't.

Yanbu. The child benefit threshold needs raising AND single parents should be exempt.

A couple on 25k each would have a lot more in take home and no one would suggest they were rolling in it.

Your pension is very very good though (I'm a G6 so I know this to be true).

Yep it makes no sense at all

I agree that like most other benefits it should be based on household income. But I also accept that there ought to be a cut off point before any form of benefit is paid, and £50k is as good as any other - it is a lot more than the average household income. I don't think higher earners should have any benefits - they ought to be a hand up for those on the lowest incomes to keep them out of poverty. It is hard to justify benefits for a £50k+ household when many people have signifcantly less than that to live on.

As I understand it, it is set per person becuase the administration of doing it per household would be huge. HMRC is not able to track who live together or even who are married. So they would have to manually adjust and check the benefit.

Even if you did it per household that would leave scope for unfairness as what about where a single parent household gets maintenance? Or would that be taken into acocunt too? If so, how?

They've done it like this because it's manageabe administratively.

I wrote to my (excellent, Labour) MP about this issue this week and got a response within 2 days but unfortunately it looks like this has been debated numerous times and the government don’t give a shit!

@Sissynova good point, tax wise the take home pay is better so combined 25k x 2 is better off, plus the child benefit.