Resentment at 100k

[Arseholeneighbours]

Theres a lot of vitriol spilt towards people being “high earners” at 100k and over. As net contributors, and most likely having made sacrifices, stresses and difficult life decisions, there’s many judgements about life choices , expectations and living within one’s means. What is the motivation to push forward in a career and to try and be as successful as one can if there’s no personal gain? It’s all well and good saying those with the broadest shoulders should take on the most - but to what end?

As a single person renting after a marriage breakdown I was so grateful to the benefits system as it allowed me to leave an abusive husband without having to worry about bills. Things were tight but we managed.

8 years later, I've built a career I love, and bought a house and no longer need benefits. I'm not a high earner, just over median, but I have enough money to do what we want, holidays, trips, plus being able to replace/buy things without worrying.

I'm glad my taxes can help another woman to escape a bad relationship. Most people on benefits want to come off them, I think, for a minority it's a lifestyle choice but not for most.

I do think working should always pay more over benefits, and that the age for people being in full time work increased - there is no need, usually, for people with secondary age kids to only work 20hrs

You actually have exactly the same safety net as everyone else, OP. You just have much more to lose, so it feels like you are exposed to more risk.

It’s not a pay cut though. You still take home 40% of the extra between £100K and £125k

Well you could move to the midlands, short train journey into London, but I understand you don't want to uproot your life. I'm in the North East, I just bought a really good sized 3 bed for £126k. It's the housing in this country that is pushing people into poverty. Even when I was renting, the housing allowance was £450 yet my rent was £850 (£230 more than my mortgage which is crazy!)

It surely depends where you earn £100k. In my part of Scotland you could buy a large 4 bed detached with garage for £300k.

Earning £100k here should get you a decent lifestyle (although there are also fewer opportunities paying that level).

100k in London is not going to get you the same, especially coupled with childcare costs.

The cliff edge for this is ludicrous and disincentives people, especially those in senior health care roles where you can opt to work fewer hours.

I do think that a bit like working to pay nursery fees, it is important to keep in mind the longer term benefits. But then taxing pension contributions goes against this.

I feel people in certain situations at this level do have a right to moan (though should remember that south east house prices give you choice in where to move should you choose to in a way that living in a cheap area doesn't). However it's all well and good saying you could move but most people are tied by other factors like family, schools etc.

In terms of the budget, we now earn the equivalent of two full time minimum wage jobs (although I don't have to work full time hours for mine). We are doing fine because of low mortgage, one older car and have always been thrifty. But it does still annoy me that we qualify for nothing (I don't want or expect it) but that my neighbours inn council housing and no work have a brand new mobility car outside and a newer version of the car we drive, despite the fact they don't work and only he can drive. It's been there a year and she's never had a driving lesson.

It feels like the incentives to work hard are decreasing at all levels.

The problem is my family live in the SE. We have discussed moving, and it’s not off the table but I’d be away from my support system. It’s like we have two economies in this country - the north and south divide; it’s very unfair.

It’s not fair that we are entitled to no help whatsoever, and we are squeezed and squeezed. It’s really depressing. I’m looking at further cut backs after Christmas.

I am a higher earner. There is obviously an incentive to achieve. If not, swap your job with a minimum wage one. Would you be happy with that? I know I wouldn't be, and not just because of the money. I work incredibly hard (long hours, and a lot of stress) but the work I do is very interesting and intellectually stimulating. I am generally treated with respect and given a high degree of autonomy. I could have stress in any job, and be a lot less well paid, so I accept my situation.

The absolute idiots who claim to be avoiding promotions when they reach £100k, don't get me started. No idea how you could even reach £100k with that outlook.

plenty of people work just as hard to better themselves as you and will still never earn £100k. You’re extraordinarily privileged and your “hard work” is only part of the story. Either suck it up or get a job paying less.

an engineering role

So do that then?

Do you not think it could also be a bit offensive to suggest that part timers don’t strive to achieve in their careers?

Apologies , but part time is frowned upon within my industry

ive used it in the sense I’ve seen it applied on mumsnet - contributing more in tax then receiving in services

Thank you. I know many people who work their socks off and who are on similar salaries or much less.

Or try being in Scotland where I pay £2k a year more tax than I would in England and get flag shagging and the occasional free prescription in return!

Correct I don’t work 12 hour shifts but am technically available 24/7

I generally don't think about them unless they come on here full of self pity.

Well we all make choices. I’m willing to bet I’m every bit as well educated, smart, hard working and ambitious as you but I prioritised a work life balance over £££. I could easily be earning £100k plus had I taken a different fork in the road.

No there isn’t vitriol. Only when people on 100k come on and say they’re hard up and scraping by and describing themselves as middle earners. Then obviously people get pissed off. Otherwise, crack on.

But at no point have I said that, I’m saying there’s a tax trap at 100k mark which doesn’t incentivise pushing further

A jump from 100 to 125 is hardly an easy over night feat, the added responsibility for the incremental take home pay is worth considering

And maybe this is where I’ve gone wrong, prioritising my career for so long.

Okay? 🤷‍♀️ Then don’t push further if you don’t think it’s worth it. Obviously other people don’t necessarily agree with you so those higher paid jobs will get filled. Are you talking about free childcare here? Because otherwise, while you pay more tax on earnings above a certain threshold, you do also get more money.

If everyone did that, the South East would become an enclave for the wealthy, which is indeed happening.

Then, how would the top 5% of earners (on £100k or more) find anyone to look after their children or clean their homes?

And do they want their kids to grow up in a neighbourhood, and go to a school, where everyone’s rich?

If someone on £100k (when they earn 3 x more than the average person) is struggling financially, they need to look at their expenditure.

IMHO, the most important thing in life is spending time with your loved ones, especially children, rather than a ‘career’ or wealth. Lots of people choose that over money. No point having money if you barely see your family and friends.

God what a lot of whingers there are on Mumsnet these days. I mean if you make sacrifices to earn a high salary, those are sacrifices by your present self for your future self and family. Not for the common good. Who knows, maybe you are sacrificing some erhics ans burning some carbon too?.They aren't sacrifices you are making for the rest of us so we don't care one waybor the other. We won't have a go at you if you opt to live a more balanced life on £60k. (In face whisper it, but you might be a bit more fun to know) So if the game isn't worth the candle to you maybe - don't bother? I won't mind, I promise!

We have a nearly 2 year old and a baby on the way and if my husband earns any more we will lose childcare support, which will effectively put us thousands of pounds worse off next year (we pay £1.5k a month childcare now with support, this would be up to £2.5k if we lose this). He has been offered a promotion that would be great for him career wise but we can’t afford for him to take it and take the increased childcare. Whether he takes the promotion or not he works long hours in a stressful job with lots of responsibility and so although I fully accept we are lucky in lots of ways, it is also frustrating to accept that no matter how hard he works we will only be worse and worse off for the next 4 years until our youngest is at school. I don’t resent paying taxes and want those earning less to have as much support as possible. But equally there needs to be a change to the way childcare and tax at around the £100k mark works to incentivise people to work hard and stimulate economic growth. You shouldn’t be better off for turning down promotions or working less days!