Should Labour abolish the two child benefit cap?

[changefromhr]

In two minds about this. Yes for those who find themselves on benefits after having more than two children (job loss, divorce etc) but perhaps not for those who choose to have more than two children when they have never worked (disabled families excepted).

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/11/uk-two-child-benefit-cap-affected-1-6-million-children-last-year-figures-show

You suggest penalising pensioners who have already paid to bring up the children they could afford, and now you expect them to subsidise feckless scroungers popping about babies for benefits

This is such an embarrassing post.

As one of those pensioners I suggested dropping the triple lock. A few more quid a month doesn’t mean nearly as much to me and millions like me as it would to someone with small children living on the breadline.

Which is fine in your circumstances @Blossomtoes, as you've said elsewhere that you have an occupational pension to top up your state pension (as do I FTR), but my DM at nearly 90, doesn't. And while she gets pension credit, and reduced council tax the soaring cost of energy and food affect her as much as any young family pro rata.

So no, freezing pensions is not an option given the hardship that would follow for the oldest women.

Isn’t it?

Just forgot the sky TV, fags and booze!

We could change the rules on pension credits for the decreasing number of people whose only income is the state pension. We really wouldn’t miss an increase in state pension, would we?

You can't speak for all pensioner's though.

Another bleeding-heart lefty arguing for the cap to be scrapped:

https://www.suellabraverman.co.uk/news/it-time-abolish-two-child-benefit-cap

I work in an area where families usually have 4 children+ Almost all the families claim child benefit, FSM, council’s EMA and additional school holidays money top ups, adult free dentistry, prescriptions as the declared family income is &16k or less.

However, most of the dads also work cash in hand in restaurants and as Uber drivers to supplement the family income. If you have 4+ children you would have to earn at least 100k in order to have a MC lifestyle i.e house in a reasonable area , bedroom for each dc, a couple of holidays a year, activities for dcs, big enough car. If you were on £30k a year you will have to be reliant on various benefits to do this

No you might not and my parents certainly wouldn't, but not all pensioners are financially comfortable.

Obviously 🙄 I wasn’t aware that there had to be unanimity about how the benefits budget is spent.

Then presumably they’re receiving pension credits and would continue to do so.

No. Have the number of children you can afford.

We wouldn't miss it this year or next, @Blossomtoes, or maybe for five years but we're old enough to remember really high inflation rates, and unless your occupational pension is index-linked (mine isn't), then there would come a time when it would cause hardship. Which was why the triple lock was introduced.

Since the new state pension came about there are a lot less pensioners getting pension credit so if they haven't got a private pension too they are surviving on £220 ish pounds a week. Not qualifying for pension credit then means you also miss out on all the freebies that people on pension credit get.

Wow you've changed your tune haven't you? Is your pension more generous than you expected or something?

Pension credit brings claimants up to the level of the post 2016 state pension amount.

I haven’t changed my tune at all. I’ll fight to the death to keep my state pension and not have pensions means tested. I’m happy not to see it disproportionately increased every year in a failed bid to buy my vote.

Yes.
Plain and simple.
No child should live in poverty for the decisions their parents have made.
Plus we whine about the falling birth rate and aging population, what do you expect when you're penalising people for having kids?

The sooner it's scrapped, the better.

She’s actually a Tory

What happens if the parent/s become sick and can’t work? What do you suggest happens to their kids that they could afford but now can’t?

How are people being penalised,?
Most people have to decide how many children they can afford.

What??? Not Suella!