Absolutely rinsed in this budget - almost £1k a year worse off.

[Mushroo]

Honestly in despair at this government. On a very high level calc, we are so much worse off!

We both pay a lot into pensions, so the NI change is about £700 a year worse off.

We have an EV car, so based on our 4k a year mileage, it’s about £120 a year. (Although how it will be enforced I have no idea).

Stagnating tax thresholds, probably about £100 a year between us.

Council tax F house (4 bed end terrace, not a mansion, needs renovating). So risk of revaluation after having paid a fortune in stamp duty. We didn’t get first time buyer stamp duty relief because we bought about 2 years too early, and we moved before Covid so no relief there either. So overall we’ve paid about £30k in stamp duty already over our lifetime.

Weve already had the private school hit (which is a separate debate and we’ve accepted that) but wow, we are just being kicked on all sides.

We are classic ‘middle earners’ - earn about £70k each, but have mahoosive mortgage and pay over £2k a month in nursery fees already.

Every measure just seems to have a negative effect on our lifestyle, which is ‘comfortable’ but increasingly squeezed.

How much more should they pay? At what point do you say they can keep their own money? Is there a limit or number you have in mind?

What is the responsibilty of the people receiving the gift of benefits? Is there any responsibilty placed on them as to what they do with the gift of money?

Why do you think the country is struggling? How would you make the country more prosperous?

Always easy when it someone else's money isn't it.

Yep

Demands more tax, not surprising but not sustainable.

You lost me at private school

Taxes are high enough as it is. How is "a bit more" going to magically fix everything.

Apparantly, servicing, Automatic Road caneras and MOTs. 🤷‍♀️

It's really not.

Indications are it’ll be self reported. But they do have 2 years to work it out.

How about asking people to limit the size of their families if they need state subsidies to raise their children? I hear lots from campaigners saying we need ‘to lift children out of poverty’. Not once did I hear any of them discuss the fact that family planning should be a thing and that if you don’t have much, that maybe having more than one or two children isn’t a good idea. I grew up in poverty and was homeless as a teenager. I saw lots of fecklessness. It made me really dislike the idea that poor people are victims and have no agency in their lives.

How about asking people to limit the size of their families if they need state subsidies to raise their children? I hear lots from campaigners saying we need ‘to lift children out of poverty’. Not once did I hear any of them discuss the fact that family planning should be a thing and that if you don’t have much, that maybe having more than one or two children isn’t a good idea. I grew up in poverty and was homeless as a teenager. I saw lots of fecklessness. It made me really dislike the idea that poor people are victims and have no agency in their lives.

Yes you could be right there.
But I still think they're living not beyond their means but almost to their limit which is why I asked the question about the outgoings before the budget

Where did I say they should be rinsed? I said they should be squeezed, so that they have to make some decisions about where their money goes, IN THE SAME WAY thousands of others not as fortunate as them have had to do for several years. You have interpreted that as rinsed which is an entirely different thing. That's the second time you've told me I've said something I havent. By all means you can disagree with me but when youve told me twice ive said something I havent its a bit pointless. Can the majority of middle earners make different choices to be able to support the changes, I believe they can and Ops information given indicates that too. I have no interest in telling them where they can spend their money but there needs to be a reasonable approach.
This country, last time I checked, was a democracy so yes I am absolutely entitled to whatever opinion I like. Fun isn't it! It's the same entitlement that allows you to come on here and tell me my attitude is unbelievable... ironic too!
I'm in a very similar position to them, as stated before but you don't think it's my right to agree that the middle earners, of which I belong, should be squeezed more to balance our current economic issues.
There remains a set of people who have been able to do well in the economy for the last 10/15 years... I believe, and I'm entitled to, that they hold some accountability to support the economy in slower years.

No one said anyone should be rinsed!

You said “Of course you're being squeezed, and you bloody well should be” squeezed, rinsed it’s all the same and again who are you to tell ANYONE they should be squeezed

Here’s my suggestions, How about having some balls, rejoining at least the EEA , that should help by around 4% a year -start taxing every online company that does business here but doesn’t base here for tax purposes a 3% transaction tax , that would be your Amazons, eBay, Facebook, Google etc and many others - they won’t all stop doing business here- uk is one of the most lucrative online markets- in many other country’s you cannot getaway with trading , but not paying corporation tax equivalent-

I personally think the middle band for tax needs upping a fair bit £50k these days is not that high a salary

allow tax funded hours regardless of salary , when we lived in Denmark what you earned was irrelevant and the care was around £330 a month ( and that’s full time) I can easily see why people end up doing stuff like salary sacrifice etc and yep if in that position and paying a lot of tax I would feel resentful -

give insurance and pension companies huge tax breaks to build social housing for rent at social housing levels and also more shared ownership housing and not just flats - family sized houses too . Put in conditions for facilities as part of the contracts -

I would personally get rid of stamp duty and charge a low rate capital gain ( maybe 5%) on sale on the difference between purchase and sale, anyone who has already paid stamp duty can offset that against cost .

It's not the same to me, squeezed is applying pressure to squeeze out more. Rinsing is implied you are trying to take everything which isn't the current position. I'm absolutely entitled to say to anyone that I think they should be squeezed if that's my opinion. Much the same as you can disagree with my opinion. Its the same right, and this is a discussion forum, I could just as easily say to you who are you to tell me I can't say it. I don't actually set fiscal policy, I just agree on this occasion with the one that did. You don't... tough luck...another day I won't get my way... its that democracy again!
I don't give my opinions randomly in day to day life unless relevant or asked for. If none of us are allowed an opinion on what we think is right and wrong how on earth are we supposed to choose who to vote for?
Also note no alternative view given by you...or do you think the fairies can wave a magic wand and sort all our issues without Anyone else being impacted? Now that is ridiculous

“The gift of benefits”. Stop the world-I want to get off.

Your opinion was rude, thoughtless and judgemental. Maybe think twice before you post again

Yours was rude, misquoted and without any contra argument. If you dont like opinions other than yours, arnt willing to explain your position or read a post properly: Maybe think twice before you open mumsnet.

You can ask but it doesn't stop children existing.

And keeping them in poverty is expensive in the long run.

People need to experience the consequences of their own actions

And the children?

Explain how the kids growing up in poverty are "experiencing the consequences of their own actions"

And you're actually saying you'd prefer to pay more tax punishing children for what their parents did rather than helping them?

Regardless of your views on the two child benefit cap and private school and whether the OP and her husband are middle earners or not - climate change and the ageing population are probably the two biggest existential threats we face as a society. And this budget taxes people who have tried to use their money to do the ‘right’ thing in response to both those threats (ie driving EVs and saving for their own old age in the knowledge that the state pension is likely unsustainable).

I have a lot of sympathy with OP feeling fed up about that.

Totally! I agree that people who have had children in a loving (obviously not 6 figured salaries as that is only for arrogant mumsnetters, but comfortable) family situation, and then who suffer a spousal death, husband/wife disappearing or a horrific incident where they are medically fucked, with little financial support, should absolutely reap the consequences of what are CLEARLY their own choices.
Starve and humiliate them as quickly as possible