Why won't any political party focus or help the squeezed middle

[Winterday1991]

Off the back of another thread, has got me thinking about the next general election.

Why is there not a party that will focus on the middle earners in the squeezed south east , where both partners work full time, who are struggling juggling mortgages, cost of childcare and self fund everything and are over threshold for any help or subsidies ie child benefit, cost of living payments, free childcare via universal credit?

We are a middle/highish income family and are just so sick of paying into the system and getting nothing back! The amount of tax we pay is insane, certainly not anywhere near value for money. Labour just seem to want to focus on single parent families and those on universal credit.

Any party who focuses on the middle will surely win the election?

Go on entitled and see what you get then if you think it such a gravy train. You must be very blind living in the North not to notice families on UC struggling. Go on though. See how you manage.

There is women on here who has 2 kids and works part time. So does her partner. She gets 25k a year. They pay no tax or little tax. Yet she argues I have more money than her on a 60k salary with twins in the way. I said I am giving my full time city job up for a local part time job and she called me immoral. But it's what she does

That’s not actually what she said. She said that gaming it to be under the limit just for a short period to get free school meals is immoral.

You say your DH is in a poorly paid job does he earn less than £24K? If so there's your solution. He becomes a SAHD and gets an evening/weekend job, you don't pay the 24K nursery fees. Or he's earning more than 24K which means that you have a gross income of aprox £84+K. which means that after tax you still have a joint income of over £60K so not as hard done by as you are making out really.

Nursery fees are for a short time. Giving up a highly paid job for the nursery years will affect your earnings for years.

Well, with respect, it's not up to you to judge.....but you do so anyway.

She wouldn't get free school meals though anyway unless her entire household income dropped to under £8k. So many people are misinformed.

And you won't get free childcare. You still have e to pay something.
The expensive nursery you use may not even accept childcare vouchers.

This is true. I don't even want to think how much I have spent in childcare to date (only DH and myself so had to use nursery then wraparound). DD at secondary now, DS late primary. My childcare is now around £150 a month for wraparound (I have one day off work and DD collects DS one day a week). It will get better. Also your employer will still be paying your pension contributions during mat leave. The young child years are a struggle, especially when you're used to disposable income.

I agree the squeezed middle need help, I was previously that category. I earn 24k, my partner around 28k, we had to pay all our childcare, commute, bills etc. We had sod all but coped.
Then our child became severely disabled. Due to my earning potential, we kept my job.
Still 24k but will be mid 30s in a couple years.
Now on UC to top up and my partner is a carer.
I know what I'd rather have. It can feel very frustrating when you're paying out for everything and have less disposable than those on top ups
but your childcare bills come to end then you have loads more disposable income. Your house is your own asset. You don't need to worry about kids dropping off benefit claims etc. You'll have a healthy pension in retirement. It's easy to be shortsighted. Comparison is the thief of joy.

The average household income in the UK is £38k. Try living off that and you will know what the squeezed middle feels like.

Then do it, but you can't expect your standard of living to remain as it is if you are CHOSING to reduce your hours and income. So you'll need to pull your kids from nursery, downsize and reduce all other unnecessary spending (takeaways, nights out have just the 1 car etc), in order to do so. Don't forget to save some of that £13K for emergency repairs or when you DH is ill and can't work because those bills won't pay themselves.

This is too vague, given that housing costs in particular vary colossally. A household with 38k but no housing or childcare costs may very well have much more money to spend than one with a much higher income.

Which is a big part of the issue really.

This.

Benefits are for those who need them. We ‘pay into the system’ for the services we receive including the NHS, waste collection, fire service, education for our dc etc, as well as to help support those in need because that’s what a civilised society does. Why op thinks that she should get more than that when they earn enough to support themselves I don’t know.

I’d assume op that if you are in professional roles there is room for progression so I would suggest that you put your energy into pursuing a promotion rather than reading the DM and projecting your bitterness onto those less fortunate.

I assume you’re not a single mother? You’re going to get far less than you think on UC but good luck to you. I think you’re in for a massive shock!

@Crochetgril23 You have a mortgage? So you would earn similar amount of UC. Roughly £250-300. You get no help with the mortgage. Good luck!

I actually agree that more absent parents should be supporting their dc but given the shitshow that is the CMS and the lack of punishment or even pursuit of those who make even the most minimal attempts to shirk their responsibilities it’s unfair to expect the children of these feckless parents to go without. Or do you like seeing children growing up in poverty op?

"and all the WFH whineys have moved out to Norfolk, Cumbria or Cornwall."

Don't knock this - it's how our family and many others like it have survived / thrived. I drop the DC at school, then work from home all day but also do batch cooking / washing etc., and then collect DC later on, all whilst still doing my day job. I couldn't go back to regular commuting now, I wouldn't have time for the livestyle we have achieved. DP loves it too!

The benefit is that your kids grow up in a secure home with two parents who love them. What other benefit are you expecting? Do you think the government should reward you with tax payers money for earning a decent living? You seem very entitled op.

We have saved so much in the last 5 years by hard work we will be mortgage free at 32

If it's more than £16K you'll be getting oi UC at all so good luck living off that for 3 years.

https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/eligibility

You lost me at 'squeezed south east'. Do you think everyone in the midlands and north are a bunch of dossers or something? That we don't work and just claim benefits, whilst wearing flat caps and racing whippets?

'We get £95k because we work hard and deserve it so we should get the same freebies as everyone else.'
Nurses work hard, shop workers work hard. Many of them cannot afford to live on their wages and zero-hours contracts. But ofc their jobs aren't as important to society as yours. When those people turn out to be absolutely crucial we can give them a clap.
Some people learn nothing.