And now they're introducing a tax break for married couples!

[LadyBiscuit]

So not only do higher earning lone parents not get CB when the couple next door will still be eligible, they will also get a tax reward for being married.

BBC story

They really don't like single parents do they?

I don't understand why he didn't simply make CB into taxable income.

Everyone would have been charged at their top rate (10/20/40/50 whatever %). No extra bureaucracy particularly.

None of this £44,001 x 1 = NO CB, but £43999 x 2 = £87,998 = YES CB

Gideon would have got some cash back, and wouldn't look like such a fool as he does today.

And if you think that BBC News story was a tax announcement, it wasn't actually.

You'll find it was a panic stricken kneejerk release to the media to take pressure off some people in the Treasury who now look like complete fools.

Sorry I meant to say we can set up a petition

There's nothing manufactured about my outrage I can assure you swc

but swc the problem is that married does not equate children and vice versa. My understanding is that married tax allowance was replaced by a system where the benefit would be for the children? I don't know as wasn't in the country at the time, but surely this is a more fair system?

I think a lot of them are still wielding the 'well it's Gordon's fault, they're just clearing up his mess' line.

Funny how they all loved Gordon when the economy was booming

I am not and never have been a Tory supporter but I didn't like Gordon even in the boom times. Gordon was the 'prudence' as David C is to 'fair'.

I thought the general trend these days was for people to co-habit and have children together and that marriage was on the decline???

See, I knew they would do this. Be good and get married and what they take off you in other benefits you will get back.

I'm married incidentally but don't think they should penalise those who are not or reward those who are!

You're right Riven - they showed them on the 10 o'clock news last night making exactly that promise. Lying bastards (oh sorry, they're both products of married parents so not bastards. Unlike my child :( )

Thanks smallwhitecat. See, that's the party line. They have to do these things.

It's not a liberal obsession to think that children are the ones who should benefit rather than merely the act of marriage.

"I thought the general trend these days was for people to co-habit and have children together and that marriage was on the decline???"

They ran a story on the BBC today about how women are leaving it late to get married and why was it. Sometimes I wonder how coincidental these things are. Apparently women want a career doncha know, silly women.

Fucking tossers!

I win again as DH and I are under the HRT and are married but I don't want to gain a penny at the expense of others who are more needy.

I thought the Tories bashing single mothers was so 80's and I remember DC and GO saying again and again during the election campaign that they wouldn't touch CB.

Bet all you fools who voted for them are regretting it now?

swc do, please, explain why marriage makes a difference?

Please explain to me why, as a single parent who is also a higher rate tax payer (and in receipt of no benefit except child benefit which will soon be cut), I will have to fund someone else's lifestyle choice (ie I will be paying tax to fill the gap left by this allowance)?

FWIW, I don't object to my child benefit being removed as I always thought it could go to those more in need (which is why I donate all of it to Barnardos and Children in Need each month).

"measure will help to encourage people to marry before they have children which is generally a good thing"

why?

Gordon was only doing what the rest of the western world was doing. I expect the Tories would have been much, much worse as after all wanking banking is their world.
Not married and am losing CB here.

I am a complete idiot when it comes to politics. I have never really cared a great deal, never really thought my opinion would make a difference with voting etc. However, I'm more and more interested in the goings on ....

Can someone explain what the tax break means ?