Child benefit - when it goes, do my pension credits vanish too...

[bb99]

Just curious.

I think that SAHPs who claim CB are entitled to National Insurance credits.

So, when the CB goes in 2013, will I lose any pension rights or credits too?

If so, had better revise the divorce to be a better off family plan and start being nicer to DH

[ISNT]

Do you basically think that only very wealthy women people should be allowed to have children? Your idea that women should work up until they give birth and return to work immediately after they have given birth is impossible for many. What about breastfeeding?

It seems that women who dare to have children need to be punished. Why?

[ISNT]

You say you don't agree with abortion but frankly the scheme you are proposing would result in a big increase in terminations.

[LilyBolero]

huddspur, you have ignored the bit of my post that points out that many people contribute in other ways - volunteering in school being an obvious example. If you removed the NI credits system, you would need to plough a lot more money into the education budget to replace the time many parents give for free at present. School trips would become unviable, reading standards (particularly for those struggling) would plummet, school swimming wouldn't be able to happen etc etc. And that's only one area. You can't just punish people who are being 'useful' members of society. And bringing up children is a very 'useful' thing to do too - they after all will keep the economy going after the current workforce retires, and without a viable economy we have no hospitals, police etc.

[ISNT]

huddspur do you agree with paid maternity leave?

[beobelle]

This is an interesting thread, I do see where Huddspur is coming from with regards to the Government telling everyone that the NI they pay is going towards their pension but that it is also going towards other peoples state pensions who aren't working or paying NI but are recieving NI credits. I also see where she is coming from in regards to some women using children as a reason not to work and that this needs to be discouraged and this certainly would disincentivise this.
Lily getting involved in helping the community is something you can do as well as working and raising children so I don't really accept that argument.

[LilyBolero]

beobelle, yes of course you can, BUT, the point is that people who aren't working, aren't necessarily non-contributors - and so it seems rough to then deny them the full state pension. That was my point. From my point of view, if the pension credit system wasn't in place, I would have to work far more than I do (I work part-time at home, don't earn enough for NI contributions though), so would be far more reticent to give up precious time with the baby to go and help out in school. And anyone working fulltime would be unable to go into schools during the day anyway.

I really do think contribution should be rewarded, not just number of £££s put in.

[baildonwen]

I think Huddspur is right if you are going to have this extra tax in order to pay for the state pension then you should actually have to pay it in order to get the state pension.

[CardyMow]

But what about if you have a disability, that you don't qualify for disability benefits with, you can only work PT due to this disability, and the only job you can find that will employ you is for minimum wage. A 20 hr a week job at minimum wage is under the NI threshold. You are disabled. You are working. Yet despite this you don't qualify for a full state pension? .

So even if your DP/DH works FT and pays NI, and you have something (be it childcare/disability/SN dc/caring for elderly relatives/combo of all 4 in my case) and you try to work PT around all that...you don't get a full state pension??

[byrel]

Loudlass I think earlier in her posts Hudd says she would lower the NI threshold

[legostuckinmyhoover]

thats kind of her

[commonsensey]

no I am afraid you cant count bringing up children as 'caring' in this sense. how much time off work is really needed (physically) to have a child - a couple of weeks? Anything more is a lifestyle choice. And why would you assume that disabled people should get it, don't they already get benefits associated with disability? We might be sympathetic, but saying that they should get every benefit going is a tad patronising.

[jellybeans]

It is sad that some people describe SAHMs as never having done 'a days work in their life'. I heard this phrase recently about an elderly mother of 3. In my eyes caring for young children is work albeit unpaid. It would be work if it was someone else's child....
My Grandmother was a SAHM and never did paid work after marriage but raised five kids. She did a lot of voluntary work when the kids were older and enabled her husband to work whatever hours he could to gain a top job. I would say some people that 'work' have it easier than SAHP. Many people shirk on internet or laze about on the job. Paid work doesn't mean hard work yet unpaid could be. It is sad that some people value only paid work as it devalues SAHP, volunteers, people with learning difficulties, elderly, disabled people etc.