To wish the scare mongering about benefits cuts would just STOP!?

[shimmerysilverglitter]

I am the single mother of 2 dc one of whom is disabled, I won't be able to work, simple as that, I cannot possibly improve my situation without my benefits because of the extra care my ds needs. No-one is more scared about it than me BUT I don't want to think about it until it happens or until there is something concrete to worry about.

However if there is some well informed person out there who can tell me in Black and White terms what is likely to happen then I would welcome that.

No one will know anything for sure until the new budget comes out 22nd June.

Until then, I agree. Everyone should just stop talking about it!!!

It's not scaremongering, it's conjecture
we're free to ponder what might happen surely?
You can hide the politics threads in here you know.

YANBU I just roll my eyes and ignore. All this speculating does is get people wound up and stressed about things which haven't yet happened and probably won't.

T'is fairly obvious, methinks they will be stopped for higher earners, which is fair enough tbh.I'm not too panicked and don't think anybody else on low income should be either (and i'm not a Tory supporter)

I think many problems would be solved if a limit could be put on housing costs tbh, it's getting out of hand.

Well, it's going to happen. It has to. The country HAS to make cuts. It's going to be hard for all of us, but savings have to be made everywhere, we can't avoid it.

We just have to hope they make savings in the right places, and protest if they don't.

OP - I don't think you have anything to worry about.

No one knows but I think its fairly certain there will be cuts to tax credits for those earning more than around £25k-£30k, and child benefit may be means tested.

i find it ridiculous to speculate.

If you are on benefits there is little you can do. you are hardly in a position to save so you just have to accept the decision of go0vernment and hope they act sensibly.

Well I for one do want to think about, worry about etc.. I want to be prepared, which is why I have worked out a seperate budget for the worst possible scenario (tc and cb stopped)

I am no good just puting my fingers in my ears and going..tra-la-la...! That makes me panic sends me spiralling into depression.

And what people are putting on here, and in the papers is no worse than what is going on inside my own head.

I think it is important to be prepared. To think about it. To have a plan. To start seeing where you can make savings. Even if it doesn't happen, it's always sensible! you can't go through life saying I'm ok / coping today. I don't want to think about tomorrow / I'll deal with tomorrow when it comes.

It depends if you think that over the next few weeks the politicians and civil servants will be starting rumours and seeing the reaction or not. If they are then it is worth reacting to the things that you most object to.

I am not trying to bury my head in the sand or anything but my finances are so precarious that I just want to a couple more weeks of pretending nothing is going to happen.

Unrealistic I know.

I think tax credits and cb may be scrapped for those over 37K, it's just a feeling I get and not from any evidence. I think some people will be hundreds worse off and alot of people will be pissed off and alot of children will loose out. After all people rely on the money after a while.

Does anyone else agree that Means Testing for most benefits would be the way forward? Because let us be honest there are people who really just do not need them who are getting them.

We'll all be in for tough times financially.

Makes sense to think about it and plan how you can cut back or increase your income where possible.

Oh yes. Means testing is the way to go.

family allowance for example - at the moment if you get millions you still get it! WTF?

Scrap FA and add a bit to tax credits perhaps.

Scrap tax credits and raise the tax threshold, maybe. tax credits system costs how bloody much to run? Scrap it and save! Rather than tax and pay to run a system that gives it back to you!

at the moment you can get child tax credit if you don't work. Maybe get rid (as above) and put it back onto income support element for children - I think did people used to get IS for children? Now it's just for adults and ctc for the kids?

Let's face it - the country would save all the money it needed if the government looked at itself! Its departments, its spending, its useless bits!

Hospitals! the nhs in general - so much bloody WASTE! They could run a fab service on the same or less money than they get now if it was run properly!

Means testing is only worth it if they could save more money than it would cost in red tape.

It would be far more cost effective to just cut the level at which you could claim tax credits and would have less outcry too, particularly as higher earners have no long had tax increases (for the very high earners) and NI increases (for those on middle to higher incomes).

I'd also like to see child benefit as an amount for the first child, half that for a second, half again for a third and so on to a max of five children - this would allow for the economies of scale within housing, meals and clothing that exist in larger families. I'm not sure how much that would save though.

The proposed child benefit changes were discussed on Money Box (Radio 4) this evening. They are either going to stop giving the benefit to older children (above 13) or to those earning above something like £30,000 a year. I think that giving this benefit to those earning above about £60, 000 is crazy, but that to penalize people in the 30-40 000 ish bands is unfair as they are taxed extremely heavily. Not all of those people will have property or other assets, or recieve financial help from relatives, whereas some on the slighltly lower incomes may have both of these 'unseen' benefits. To take this away from those who really are rich is sensible, but to put an age limit on it is, in my opinion, deluded. Older kids really do cost a lot more money.And now we will really need to start saving, as the Tories are likely to increase tuition fees unfairly as well.

We don't HAVE to make cuts......there could be tax rises instead.

lucylloyd - you don't know any of that for a fact, that's the point of the OP - no point in speculating!

tax rises to raise billions of pounds? Can you imagine trying to raise taxes by that much?

It would have to be some tax rise and it would simply ensure more people quit work rather than be taxed to the hilt and still bring home less than somebody on benefits.

Agree with scrapping tax credits and raising the tax threashold instead - would be far less admin, no need to submit figures or change in circumstances, over payments would be rare etc.

If the workers are to be penalised by higher taxes or having their child benefit/tax credits removed then its only fair that they cut benefits for the non workers too - many of whom are physically able to work but choose not to. DLA will always remain in place in some form for the disabled, whether or not it gets reduced or means tested nobody knows.

I must admit - all of the stories in the media are making us worry a little, so in advance of the actual cuts we are examining our finances and seeing where we can make savings.

We have a family income of 30K so are worried that we are in the income bracket that could lose tax credits / child benefit.

It does make us sad. We know that cuts have to be made as the country's finances are in a mess but we work so hard for what we get (as do most people, I know), we have a mortgage but no other debt and we never buy anything until we've saved up for it. And even though I know loads of people are going to be the same or worse off than us, it just seems sad that despite years of being so careful with our money we are still going to be worse off...

So, in answer to the OP, I understand your worry but I also feel that the 'scaremongering' at least makes us think about what may happen and start to prepare