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.

How about making the benefit for the first two children universal first? Some families do not receive any child benefit.

@lovelyupnorth they should, but in reality it doesn't happen. Apparently men should not have their freedom to have loads of children and leave them curtailed. And with out current Prime Minister being such a beacon of morals in this respect I doubt anything will change.

(Yes I know he probably pays CM, but let's be honest it's not a hardship to him and hes still not setting a good example to deadbeat dad's)

The two child limit only applies to children born after April 2017 so if you have 9 children all born before then you can still claim benefit for 9. You can claim child benefit for all of your children and also claim the disability element of universal credit or tax credits for all children whenever they were born.

It was brought in to appease Tory voters and the Tories have abolished all child poverty targets so they really don’t care that children go without.

There are some exceptions where you can claim for children born after April 2017 including multiple births. Also no choice pregnancies such as rape or coercive control, however evidence is needed, which says a lot about the tories attitude to women.

Aren’t all benefits being replaced by Universal Credit? What’s the point of dwelling on the working tax credit?

Child 3 and subsequent children are eligible for things like free school meals child benefit.

The policy has been designed to discourage people from having too many children if they cannot afford them. Unfortunately, there will be some families that have just had bad luck, eg having triplets or a serious accident/disability. It’s unfair of them but them you can’t have a system with someone deciding whether you get your benefits based on arbitrary criteria.

Just throwing this out there, but we're hoping for a dc3 (dc1 for dp) at some point. Would be a lot easier to pay for them ourselves if xH actually paid his way with my dc1&2.

Perhaps if more was done about NRPs not contributing, less would need to be done about tax credits?

If that cut is making such a difference I would suggest you can’t afford 3 children anyway

I don't agree. It isn't the funding I object to - it's because we should be making it as hard as possible for people to have large families, to reduce the impact to the environment.

Tax credits, benefits, free prescriptions and paid maternity leave should be available for the child/children of the first birth only. However, people who adopt and thus don't add to the environmental impact should receive full funding/benefits for unlimited adoptions.

@IndecentFeminist

And that’s my problem because. If two people have kids then those two people need to pay for them. Not everyone else

That’s interesting Nanna50 to read about multiple births or coercive pregnancies. It’s good to help those who have been unlucky rather than those choosing to bring children into poverty for the state to sort their family out.

@Missillusioned

To be fair BlowJob is not an example of anything and just wait till the Brexit shit show hits hard. Then see what’s left to pay benefits.

I'm broadly in favour of the 2 child limit to get benefits; but it should have gone hand in hand with an assertive policy on making child maintenance be paid.

Nothing is stopping anyone having more than 2 children. But if you want children to have to be financially in a position to afford them. Children are not by any means a necessity.

It’s so little money a month. How is that really making much of a difference to anyone anyway?

People that work and support their families themselves don't get a payrise with the birth of 3rd and subsequent babies, so why should people on benefits? If you want a 3rd child you have to look at ways of providing for that child within your income. Having children should not be seen as an income stream.
If you're in a stable relationship you still need to consider the worst case scenario before you have children, don't just rely on luck, literally anything can happen.

@lovelyupnorth I agree. I am just annoyed that yet again the 2 child limit disproportionately affects women, as a lot of men walk away.
Yes I know 2 parent families also claim, but with 2 adults your options to increase your income are greater.

Terrible policy. Also, rape clause is grotesque.

Meh,

You can’t afford more than 2 children then don’t have them. Contraception is free and easy to arrange.

It was brought in as the only people that can afford three plus children are either those on benefits or the well off. The just about managing couldn't. What it stopped was those on lower incomes basically being able to rely on the state to sub additional children whereas the well off can do what they want anyway as they will always be the payers and not receivers

So yes I also support the policy. It made me really angry seeing friends who could barely afford a second child and then others that kept shelling them out like peas and being paid benefits to do it. Just seemed perverse.

@feelingverylazytoday my ex and I were insured to the hilt. If one of us had died or been incapacitated we were covered. But you can't insure against someone walking away.
And the tax credits aren't a small amount of money for a single parent.

Don't have kids that you can't afford without needing help from the state 🤷🏼‍♀️

And that’s my problem because I'm assuming that's a kind of head wobbling, sarcastic rhetorical question?

Child poverty should be everyone's concern. The fault of the parents yes, but I for one care whether children are suffering regardless of whether their parents were irresponsible. Don't most people?

When I was born (many moons ago) CB was only paid for one child. I was the second and my mother didn't get it for me until my sister turned 18, when it stopped for her and I was then eligible until I was 18.

One of DH’s “mates/punters” (dh does a night a week working in the local he got a Saturday job in since the landlady’s DD had children) graham is a prime reason this is a shit policy.
Graham is 32, he has seven kids.
He pays for none and sees one.
The three mothers G had children with all have more than 2 children.
Their family finances suffer whilst graham is drinking 6 pints of Stella a night, every night after work, and getting a cab to both take him back to his house, and then another to pick up his van in the morning
That’s probably about 24 quid for the drinks and £16 in cab faire.
£40 a day

He doesn’t give a shit his kids are borrowing uniform, school shoes and trainers from lost property, or that they’re only getting jacket potatoes on the school trip cos they’re free school meals. (I know this to be true because I taught in the DC school)

It tips single parents over the edge

I think tax credits for two children is actually quite fair. The state can't give unlimited handouts to people.

My husband and I had to really scrimp and save before we had our 2, I think having the cap is good as it should make parents stop and think that can they afford to pro ide for the children they intend to bring into the world.
We are a 2 income family and despite this we have to do a lot of budgeting and corner cutting.