To think British people just hate anyone making good money

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I have seen countless posts where a poster who is high earner and will mention struggling and then they will get barrage of hate on being a high earner.
Most people on MN support the fact that anyone making over 100k shouldn't get free funded hours or child benefit as if their DC don't deserve anything.

Similarly seen so much hate on landlords and landladies as if everyone should give away their homes for free to other people. Even if they did sell it all, then there won't be much houses available for the renters.

Have seen hatred on big corporation and tech and even small businesses for charging £5 for a coffee.
Why do British people hate anyone making decent money or doing entrepreneurship? Are we in a race to bottom? Why can't we take inspiration from others who are doing well and try to do better for ourselves than the endless envy?

MN as a whole (if there were even such a hive mind) is quite supportive of high earners and entrepreneurs.
Where high earners will get pushback is on threads calling £100k+ “struggling” or “middle income” when so many manage on so much less.
It’s not the income that’s the issue, it’s the tone deafness.
Most threads about the loss of funded childcare hours have lots of advice on legal ways to reduce net income for a few years, and are generally much more supportive than threads where lower earners try to legally reduce savings or income to keep other benefits.

I have lived in US and the culture is so different there, entrepreneur and money is celebrated there and they have such different relationship to wealth and success.

Yet median wealth is higher in the UK than in the US. The “average wealth” is skewed by a few billionaires.

A lot of it is jealousy. Far too many people in the UK hate successful people because of the green eyed monster. Rather than try to improve themselves, they want to drag everyone else down to their level.

As of 2024/2025, there are approximately 23.8 million millionaires in the U.S. and around 3.1 million in the U.K.

I don't really want to celebrate money thanks! Much rather celebrate kindness, creativity or intelligence.

As to the 100k childcare thing - those of us lucky enough to earn that don't need assistance, it's not about deserving.

DH and I are high earners but I've never felt the need to start a thread about struggling.

Of all the high earning struggling threads, I don't think there were any where it wasn't immediately obvious what the issue was.

If you're paying a high mortgage or private school fees on a salary that doesn't support comfortably support them, then not sure what advice MN can give you apart from the obvious.

So then it becomes a moaning thread, which can be annoying for people earning the average wage or less.

The US population is 6 times that of the UK, so per capita it's not that far apart.

I don't think British people hate anyone making good money, it's when those people don't admit that it is good money that people find it irritating.

A lot of people in this country - and subsequently on this site - have household incomes of far, far less than 100k, so of course it rankles to read someone with with that level of income complain of struggling.

I think it is ridiculous to suggest that people who think those earning over £100k shouldn’t get free funded hours think that because they think the children “don’t deserve anything”.

I don’t think the funded hours should be universal, but I do think the cliff edge situation that exists at the moment, plus the fact the system isn’t based on household income but highest earner income, makes the whole thing illogical.

No wonder millionaires are leaving UK in record numbers
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-millionaires-non-dom-tax-rachel-reeves-b2775646.html

I hate that kind of boastfulness and idolising someone just for being rich.

I agree. These "cliff edges" in both taxes and benefits are causing a lot of damage to the economy, tax revenues and personal lives. It should be within the ability of the experts in the civil service to come up with better ways, i.e. a "smoother" line for benefits/tax as incomes rise/fall rather than the mountain range graph we currently have with stupidly high peaks and low troughs.

And there are horrific levels of poverty and people unable to afford basic medical treatment.

i think generally the British feel it is impolite to talk about money in public and particularly how much you have.

It's called perspective.

39% of British houses are owned outright (compared with 26% in US), that’s a lot of untaxable property wealth knocking about.
https://www.knightfrank.com/research/article/2022-12-15-which-countries-have-the-highest-proportion-of-mortgagefree-households

Yes. I think it has always been that way. Nothing to do with jealousy just in poor taste.

Absolutely right about many people in the UK. We’ve seen this very recently of course, with the unmitigated joy some people (I expect low earners) felt about the tax on private school fees. Totally idiotic, was never going to add anything to state schools. In fact make them worse.

Of course with this Labour gvt we are all lumbered with, any high earning / aspirational / successful people are being demonised and ‘brought down’.

As someone earning less than the national average, I personally can’t stand the posts which start “oh noooo, I only have £2000 a month disposable income after all bills, groceries and childcare. I feel so poor, can I apply for universal credit” (or something to that effect! It’s tone deaf, stinks of entitlement and frankly anyone with half a brain can work out that the poster is, indeed comfortably off. It’s not jealousy, it’s irritation that people who post this seem to have no self awareness!

Gotta love Labour's sixth form debating society level of politics and their love of the politics of envy. They want everyone equal, even if that means everyone suffers equally poor health care, education, living standards etc.

Are you....suggeesting that random sarky comments on MN are what's causing this? 🤣

Nothing to do with tax loopholes, a labour government, changes to private school fees, increasing internationality, AI translation making it easier to live and work in non-english speaking countries....

To be fair I do actually agree with you in that the "tall poppy" syndrome we often exhibit in the UK isn't sometimes the most attractive or beneficial trait (Although I think hand on heart as we sing the national anthem MAGA patriotism isn't something to aim for or be jealous of). But I think you've correlated a lot of random things that don't necessarily prove your point.

But they do need assistance! Gah! How could you be so financially illiterate! People who avoid earning over £100k (and it would be stupid not to because you lose money if your salary is anything between £99,999 and £140,000) are hampering the long term tax take of the UK. Give them free childcare and the country makes more money in tax in the long run than the cost of providing them with the benefit. It’s such a stupid thing for our country not to give them free childcare.

The only reason this policy exists is that those that earn less are jealous and they like this policy. See also VAT on private schools. Makes no money, but salves the rabid envy of others. shit policies hampering growth and prosperity in the UK.

Agree - parents having to find a new place for their children because they couldn’t afford the fees is a shitty thing to be joyful about, yet it was rife on here.

Most people on MN support the fact that anyone making over 100k shouldn't get free funded hours or child benefit as if their DC don't deserve anything.

If someone is on over 100k, why should they get free childcare?