Should families get a tax allowance for dependant children

[Clariee45]

Just a thought from another thread about there being no help for the squeezed middle who feel they are hardly better off than those on universal credit. Wouldn’t it just be fairer if those families not entitled to universal credit were given an extra tax allowance equivalent to the adult personal allowance for each child.
Why are adults given a tax allowance that acknowledges the basic costs of needing to eat and have a roof over there head etc and yet parents are expected to provide all this (plus 80% childcare costs) for their children completely out of their taxed income

A couple with only one person in employment has zero childcare costs. They don’t need anything extra.

Yup, Osborne, who apparently was so ideologically opposed to universal child benefit he claimed it for each of his children.

You seem not to understand what 'society' means.

I don't even really understand your point?

The childfree need the society not to die. Therefore they need children to be born and raised.

A couple with only one person in employment has zero childcare costs. They don’t need anything extra.

But many of those mothers & it's usually mothers at home would like to work but childcare costs even when subsidised are prohibitive.

I’m not disputing that. I’m saying parents are getting enough help. The child free shouldn’t be taxed even more to give parents more disposable income.

Pre 2010 it didn’t have to be claimed, it was automatic on registration of a birth.

This!

Our productivity levels are impacted by our absolutely shite state support system.

UK started on a mad death spiral in 2010.

Because they would not live very long in old age without other peoples children propping up the economy , caring for them in hospital or nursing care.

And plenty on here would have received universal child benefit in its other form, my parents did. Why be opposed to it now for other children?

@MidnightOnceMore we never recovered from 08. Wages stagnated but low rates masked it all now the shit has hit the fan.

@BIossomtoes it used to be though.
You're right it is a means tested benefit now - but it used to be a tax allowance. It should go back to being universal to be honest. The current system means by calling it a "benefit" families who are entitled to it often don't claim because they think it doesn't apply to their family and miss out on state pension credits for a non working parent.
Go back to calling it Family Allowance and get rid of the means testing.

I’m not disputing that. I’m saying parents are getting enough help. The child free shouldn’t be taxed even more to give parents more disposable income.

Many parents don't get enough help though, why do you think that?

Parents are definitely not getting enough help.

Millions - millions - of parents are skipping meals today in order to feed their children.

How we address the wider tax/spend issues so things are better for a wider number of people is complicated.

But the idea your life is made better by parents starving themselves to feed their children is pure bullshit.

I couldn't have children - we spent all our savings on 4 cycles of IVF and ended up having to sell the house to do so.

I'm therefore probably the worst person to ask and I know this is a minority situation, but why the hell should I be penalised financially for not having something I so desperately wanted?

It was a political choice made by the Tories.

The UK wage stagnation was a political choice, pathetic growth, all of it.

Osborne's austerity was not a cure, it was a disease.

It was possible to opt out. He was asked about in an interview during the change over and, when ask why he had claimed it, answered with a shrug that he was entitled to it.

Child benefit isn't for childcare costs, it's a contribution to living costs.

I don't understand why it's ok to help pensioners who didn't manage to save enough for their pension, landlords with housing benefit, people who don't look after their health, criminals etc but giving more incentives to families is bad?

Osborne's austerity was not a cure, it was a disease.

They did a good job of convincing the electorate to buy into it.

You're still a member of this society, it's in your own self-interest for this society to be healthy and strong.

No one resents that, what people probably would resent is if they use these services AND their parents get significant tax breaks on top

Are you saying the squeezed middle / those not on UC can’t afford to pay for food?

And no one has kids to help the future economy.

They do this in lots if other countries, like France where you get a much higher tax allowance for having kids.

Exactly.