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?

As a cohabiting sahm I am beginning to feel like no one loves me.

Of course its a good thing that parents are married before having children. Gawd, if you can't commit to a person by signing a bit of paper, why on earth would you do something as serious as having a child with someone? Its great news I think.

I don't know why I am treated as 'single' when it comes to this tax break even though dp and I have ds and have been together for 20 yrs!Yet for tax credit purposes we are a couple and household income was taken into account and when I was too ill to work he was expected to support me on his wages and I was not entitled to benefits.He is obviously considered my 'husband' when it suits

is it illeagal to co-habit hammy02? No it is not.
then it follows and is true that it is not illeagal to have kids out of marriage and should not be punishable or discriminated against.

Oh, and by the way, the majority of single parents had their children within marriage ? 55 per cent are separated from marriage, divorced or widowed. Only 6 per cent of all births are registered alone, and 9 per cent are registered to two parents who live apart.

I always knew that Mr Potato-Face of Witney was not to be trusted.

My husband left me last month with no warning at all because he has decided he would rather be with someone else. I earn just over the threshold for child benefit, so won't be able to claim it. He, when he marries the woman he left me for, would in theory be able to claim the tax break*. He is the one who did the bad thing. How, exactly, is this supporting families?

Disclaimer - in fact, he is a higher rate tax payer as is she, and therefore they won't be able to, but the Tories don't know that, and that doesn't make me any less angry* about the whole situation.

what noddy said

I have been happily with DP 13 years - longer than any of my friends have been married. We have a mortgage and 2 kids (planned).

My married parents were so 'committed' they each shagged other people and broke up my family. Marriage does not always equal commitment and cohabiting doesn't always indicate lack of it.

"Of course its a good thing that parents are married before having children"

why?

like being back in the 50s innit.

1950's? More like stoneage.

I am buggered if I am going to be forced to the effing blinding altar by tax effing blinding tax breaks .

You can see a lot of the 'commitment' from married people on these very boards on the relationship thread.

stillcrying - am so sorry :( This must feel like an extra kick in the teeth when your husband's buggered off.

Well, in the overall scheme of things it isn't really the end of the world. It's not as if I needed another reason to be angry but it is a little galling to know that the ruling party thinks on any level that I am a failure and he deserves a pat on the back.

On the other hand, as a single mother I have now achieved my life long ambition of becoming a bona fide Daily Mail hate figure. So hurray for small mercies...

They're showing their true colours!

There is absolutely no evidence, btw, to show that should I take up my partner's repeated offers of marriage that will somehow improve the quality of our parenting.

And incidentally I always PMSL at the naivete of people who think that all children are conceived in a deeply thought-out manner, as part of a decision to 'have a child together'.

When this was in the Tory manifesto we said we'd get married if there was a tax break. Then we looked up how little it was and the fact that we wouldn't qualify as it's done on a transfer of tax free allowance and we're both earning ours so no wedding bells for us.

I wish I hadn't come on MN today

Dickheads

I do not agree with getting rid of the universal nature of CB. However,I may be being dense, but if you can means-test Tax Credits why is it impossible to do so with CB?

If the Universal CB is going, then they should at the very least means test and take into account childcare costs.

I have a friend who is a single parent and earns approx £50K - a significant part of this money is spent on childcare for 2 DCs. She will lose out on the married couples tax break and lose out on CB, however over half her salary goes on childcare. Perhaps the tories would prefer her to give up work, pay no tax, and claim benefits.

I think the idea of supporting single income families is a good thing.

100's of posts along lines of why should my family lose child benefit when family income is £44,000 made up of single income but a family with a combined income of £86,000 get to keep it.

So why should a family with a single income of £44,000 pay proportionally more tax than a family with a combined income of £86,000.

Makes no sense to me.

I fucking hate this government and i dont give a rats tat whos fault it is i am just managing to get by then in the new year vat goes to 20%, all i need is interest rates to go up a tiny bit and were royally fucked. May as well cancel christmas now the cunting fuckers

I'm going to have a look at how much benefit I can claim if I give up working. I really am beginning to think that this govt prefers single parents claiming benefits rather than going out to work and paying HRT.

undercova, the new child benfit will be means teasted...to get it the test will be on the highest salary in the house. It will cost billions. There will be overpayments, underpayments, cost to employ the admin staff and IT systems people, it will muck up when someone looses their job half way through the year, when people divorce etc etc. That is why it's only going to save 1 billion a year and thats probably an overestimate. from what i have read anyway.

yes she will loose out on all tax credits and CHB.

My dh asked if i was going back full time when our littley starts school next year - am i fuck no way what so then they can take more money of me like shite.

It won't encourage people to marry before having children. In my relationship, i wanted to get married, he didn't (to begin with). I don't think some tiny tax break would have changed his mind.

It is very insulting to single parents. Again, he's an arse. Can't stand the guy. I'm not in the uk but have been watching it and urghgh.... i want to vomit ON david cameron. I'd say 'take that from single parents everywhere'.

I'd love if his wife left him.

Just seen lego's post re IDS's comments. If I'm leading the country to hell by being a non-benefit claiming single parent what pray are DC and GO doing. I'm not a Labour supporter but it must be a relief to those who are to realise that this will be a one term govt.