OMG - Gordon Brown will scrap Nursery Vouchers

[rob1974]

BBC says here that Gordon Brown is going to scrap childcare vouchers:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8279701.stm

We get two lots of vouchers and save about £150 a month. There's no way we'll both be able to keep working if they scrap them.

I made a lifestyle choice when I decided to breed. I know that kids cost money. I know that the planet is over populated and every child born is an ecological disaster. I know that it is a myth kids will support you in your old age - more likely is that they will move away and live their own lives. I know that it's hard work... I know all that but I still decided I wanted a kid.

I don't want to fund some one's life style choice because they have chosen not to have kids. Great that they won't need more housing for their kids and ther families or mountains of plastic crap.

I am going to miss the voucher money. But to argue that I am entitled to it is just plain greedy. It's like saying hey give me money because as mom I need more money to take the kids on holiday and get more plastic crap.

It's a sick society that breeds people that think we are entitled to everything. "give me, give me, give me....and damn who pays for and it where that money comes from"

I made a lifestyle choice when I decided to breed. I know that kids cost money. I know that the planet is over populated and every child born is an ecological disaster.

What a lot of rubbish. Without children the UK would collapse. Many developed nations have major problems due to a low birth rate, and payments to parents - far more than a shitty tax break on childcare - are one of the measures used to stop these countries collapsing.

I am going to miss the voucher money. But to argue that I am entitled to it is just plain greedy. It's like saying hey give me money because as mom I need more money to take the kids on holiday and get more plastic crap.

It's a sick society that breeds people that think we are entitled to everything. "give me, give me, give me....and damn who pays for and it where that money comes from"

Eh what?

This is a tax break for people that WORK. People that contribute and pay lots of tax.

Entitlement would be "I'm unemployed, give me a house".

Serenity it is a strange point that you make.

Even if breeding is a lifestyle choice as opposed to a genetic compulsion to continue to the human race, I fail to see why it makes any difference to the basic economic or political facts.

In essence, Governments aim to encourage as many people into the workforce as possible so that they can pay income tax into central coffers and generate further wealth by spending in the general economy.

One of the main barriers to women, or indeed any primary carer, working is the availability of affordable childcare. Her level of income needs to be disproportionately higher than a male (or non-caring) equivalent to make it financially viable. Therefore, any measure to reduce this inequality and encourage people to work rather than stay at home should be encouraged not taken away.

And with house prices still 5 times the average wage, it is not 'holidays and plastic crap' that the female wage provides but housing, food and heat. You perpetuate the myth that women's careers are 'pin money' that families can do without if they really need to.

I'm not entitled to anything, but it makes social and economic sense to encourage me to not waste the 16 years of free education that the tax payers gave me because I can't afford to actually go out to work.

Having read this thread, it is clear that there are many people who (certainly feel they) would be unable to work without these vouchers (or indeed that it would not make financial or practical sense without them).

Given that the so-called 'high' earners are keeping the childcare industry in business, I can't even begin to imagine the impact on a huge number of jobs if a huge chunk of their customers chose not to work due to the withdrawal of vouchers

This is just another reason which shows how badly thought through this idea of GB's is

I have noticed (although correct me if I'm wrong) that no-one yet has posted who feels that they personally would benefit from the new 2 hrs per day free childcare for 2y/o's. Like someone said before, this (to me) is because it would only benefit SAHP's (who clearly don't need childcare as such) and the lucky working parents whose family provide childcare and would be able to ferry them to and from the 2 hour sessions

No - 2 hours free childcare per day would be of no benefit to me whatsoever. All that is intended to be is a taster of reception class to prepare children for school. No use as childcare for a working parent. Never mind, I always knew this government despised people like me so I am neither surprised nor bothered.

Don't forget - 2 hours of free childcare would not be available to everyone with a 2 year old.

SerenityX - are you American? - because thats the only place i've ever heard such a sentiment.

I and my husband have also paid 20yrs in taxes before making my 'lifestyle choice' and some of the taxes paid by my children will be paying for us when we're no longer able to work.

As the mother of two young children I have real concerns about paying for my childcare arrangements in 5 years time. By 2015, my children will be 5 and 7 years old.

I sit above the threshold of receiving childcare support through the tax credit system. Therefore my only source of assistance towards the high cost of childcare will be removed.

I would like to state that I am a basic rate tax payer, who already struggles to make ends meet. I am a working class mother of 2 young children, who wants to continue to work. The money that I save on childcare vouchers, offsets the high costs of my childcare.

My understanding is that the nursery places are for 2 year olds, in England only. This will be of no benefit to me, I live in Northern Ireland, and my children will be 5 & 7 years old. However if I did have a 2 year old and lived in England, the nursery places cannot substitute for childcare.

Gordon Brown's reply has not provided any appeasement to my situation. Let me take this opportunity to be clear to Gordon Brown. If you remove the voucher scheme, I will have no choice but to leave my job, as I will not be able to pay for childcare, without the assistance of the voucher scheme.