2 child limit, why is nothing done about it? Do you agree?

[Hopeforchildren]

Hey guys, so it has been a fee years since the 2 child limit on tax credits. I know a few families with 3 children and started this thread for them. It seems quite odd that nothing has been done about it while most families have more than 2 children and are on low income. I mean not just single parents and non working parents, it’s a common struggle for all this including full time working couples or lone parents. What are your views on this subject. Shouldn’t there be a stop to it since its unfair on the child and even the previous children that has to go without? Before anyone attacking, please bear in mind that some people don’t agree with abortion or feel strongly connected with the baby to terminate the pregnancy. Looking forward to hearing your views. Please stay kind.

When my parents started their family, there was something called family allowance, it was only paid from the second child. So you really needed to consider your finances before having children.

There are no more working tax credits for new claims, though, Panic. Since Dec., 2018, all councils are UC. The threshold is even lower. Eventually, all will be moved onto UC (by 2023 at the latest).

Oh I know,but even when they were no one can possibly think an income of 18k for 3 people is earning too much and obviously not in need of assistance.

I think it’s terrible that children are living in poverty. Unthinkable in a developed country. But of course it is the parents that are 100% to blame, they should be punished really for neglect. It’s downright immoral to have children you cannot afford. The state is already very heavy erupts providing healthcare and education for all children but I suppose they’ve chosen to limit benefits in an attempt to discourage bad parents from having more children they can’t raise themselves.

Bonny

Christ you spout shit. Bad parents aren't the ones on tc, it's the ones who work all the time and never see their kids who are neglectful.
You cheeky fucker.

Bad parents aren't the ones on tc, it's the ones who work all the time

You know working (despite the low limit) and tc aren't mutually exclusive right?

Of course, I do it myself. I can assure you it's not bad parents having to rely on tc to keep them from poverty.

Possibly stupid question, but how @Drabarni is working lots neglectful?

Are you suggesting that it is better not to work and be at home with your children?

Absolutely and correct me if I’m wrong

I'm saying that it isn't always the best for children to have absent parents because they both work long hours and dump them in before and after school clubs, hardly ever seeing them.
I find these the most neglectful tbh.

I'm not saying you shouldn't work but there's a happy medium.

Just because somebody doesn't work it doesn't make them a bad parent they are better than those who never see their kids.
They could be accessing lots of discounted food and goods, having the time for their kids too.

Whoops!

Missed out, the group who work but don't earn much and have top ups.
They aren't neglectful either.

I agree with benefits being limited to two children for all the reasons that others have given.
I know two families, 1 with 9 children, neither parent works and have a very entitled attitude. The other is a 'single' mum of 6, same father for all the children and she has no intention of working either, he lives with her but she hasn't declared this to the dwp. Someone reported her so all she did was move town, people like this know how to play the system and it's wrong.
I feel very sorry for people that can not afford to have children but I do not believe that tax payers should be funding people to have children when our schools and NHS are desperately underfunded. I know that UC seems very cruel and archaic but something had to change because as a country we couldn't continue the way we were.

I don't see the benefit cap stopping many people on low incomes refraining from having three or more children. In the school where I work, large families are the norm, including very large; 6+ children, most of whom come from low or no income families.
The only people I know who are feeling like they can't afford to have children are couples wanting to start a family, but are struggling on public sector salaries (obviously loads of others, but they're the ones I know) and feel unable to afford even one.
I think we should be environmentally motivated (as well as financially and socially encouraged) to stop at two, given the state of the planet and the bleak outlook for humanity upon it.

Where I’m standing it’s the school picking up the short fall. Providing food, clothes, after school care, funding trips and events.

It is morally wrong to knowingly have children you cannot support yourself. Unforeseeable change in circumstance is one thing choosing a large family whilst in receipt of state support is unjustifiable. Although for environmental reasons no one should have more than two anyway. There are too many of us as it is.

@msTSwift what is it that makes you say that for the environment people shouldn't have more than 2 children ? Rather than just having one child?

It is as OP stated, because we are told it's sort of a 2.4 children situation as the ideal family?

I think the idea is that if a couple have two children they are only replacing themselves.

Tigger - encouraging people to only have 1 child creates a range of social problems - see China

MsTSwift

We have 3 dc and have had cb and tc for many years.
The cap didn't apply to us as most of ours are grown ups now, but still receive for dd for two more years.

It's ok to say don't have them if you can't afford them, but why when you are encouraged to claim tax credits like we were.
I didn't know anything about it until HMRC sent an application pack, "money with your name on it" was the campaign.
Terms like award, and was never classed as a benefit until Cameron and his "curtain twitching" and division.
There used to be many more people able t claim iirc the income limit was very high and people earning over 46k were still entitled.
Unfortunately when it was reduced to 26k and now lower, the mc don't like their benefit being stopped and do everything in their power to vilify those still entitled.

Yes I do agree. Having a child is your responsibility. If you cannot afford to have a child / children, then simply don't have them. That's why I only have 1. Even with both of our income and strict budgeting, we can just about afford it along with saving for our mortgage.

I wish it was explained in school how vulnerable financially a woman is if she has more than 2 children. I also wish men were made to pay for their children. 90% of single parents are women. I don’t think we should lift the benifit cap though. How is it fair if both parents are working, not on benifits but want a 3rd child but don’t because they can’t afford it.

Of course the policy is awful and Labour would quite rightly have stopped it.

Yes of course labour would as part of their effort to spend £1.2 trillion! That's a reason why they got utterly spanked at the election when coupled with a leader who likes terrorists and is anti Semitic.

Yes, have the children you want but it is not for your neighbours as tax payers to be responsible for paying for them, at least for more than two anyway!

@AgeLikeWine

You can have as many children as you want. It’s a free country. Nobody is stoping you. Fill your boots.

Why, however, should I as a child free person be expected to subsidise your choices from my taxes? The taxpayer does not owe you or anyone else a living. Your children are your financial responsibility, not the government’s. The existing state subsidies for parents are more than high enough.

Because someone is going to have to pay your pension and health care etc when you are older!

I'm amazed by the general tone of this. I've just got one so far, but hope to have more than two eventually. I've always opposed the cap. It takes no account of the fact people can make plans and fall on unexpected and hard times. It divides people into good and bad, when life is more grey and complex than that. Plus, your primarily hurting the child and the "sort" of people who have more children than they 'should' according to others, would not be influenced by these sort of restrictions anyway.
Also, we do actually have a shortage of babies being born overall to replace the population, so encouraging more is surely a good thing?