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Lone parents

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

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Original poster

Single parents to lose child benefit

51 replies

vikkiville · 06/10/2010 19:49

I am a single mother and work full time as a teacher, I have since my son was 1 year old. I have struggled and fought to work full time and climb the career ladder for the benefit of my son. I am not yet a high rate tax payer but was hoping to climb the career ladder even further, meaning I could be soon. I and my son will lose the child benefit but a family of two earners, say both earning £39,000 (a joint income of £78,000) will get to keep it! How is that equitable and fair? Why is their child more worthy than mine to receive this benefit when my son is worse off?

Apparently it's too expensive to means test for child benefit - I am means tested for tax credits, why cannot it not be done like that?

If you're from a two parent family and have a disabled child, meaning only one parent can work, earning £44,000; you lose it! If you choose to stay at home as a mother and your partner earns £44,000, you lose it! But your neighbours with a joint income of up to £82,000 get to keep it!

Join this facebook group to fight against the injustice: Single Parents Against Child Benefit Cuts!
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=155200177847085

OP posts:

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chandra · 06/10/2010 19:53

TBH... I think they won't give a sh*t second thought abut the subject.

"Why is their child more worthy than mine to receive this benefit when my son is worse off?" Because it is the conservative in power and you are single and have a child on your own, you obviously deserve to be punished....

... and me too (obviously).

princessfifi9 · 06/10/2010 20:20

I am in the same situation and will lose my child benefit.

I am a chartered accountant and a single parent. I work 32 hours a week so I can make sure I can collect my child from school one night per week as I have a long commute to work.

I earn slightly over the higher rate tax threshold so will lose out.

This policy is discriminatory against lone parents. How can it be fair that a couple can earn £86k but a lone parent who earns £45k loses out.

This should be based on family income and I will give up the child benefit without moaning if the threshold is £44k per family.

As for the marriage couple tax break - don't get me started!!!!

katerum · 06/10/2010 21:43

So, if your ex marries someone else, he'll get a tax break...

crazy.

Niceguy2 · 06/10/2010 22:20

Yep its totally stupid. We all know there are cuts to be made but this has to be one of the worst thought out plans they've come up with.

How can it be fair that a single parent (or single income family) earning just over the threshold loses out whilst quite possibly, their neighbour who both earn do not?

As for it being too costly to implement well that's just stupid. If they did implement it, then surely they'd save more money. So its invest a few million now to save billions later.

elastamum · 06/10/2010 22:31

Thanks tories, I will lose my CB and of course when they 'soften the blow' with a tax break for married couples I wont get that either. This lot really dont like sinlge parents do they

elastamum · 06/10/2010 22:32

Interestingly, one of the guys who works with me and is married will keep his and him and his wife together earn more than me! We both have 2 kids

wildcard · 06/10/2010 23:29

I am a single parent on disablility benefits and was hoping to move in with DP next year. But he's a HRT and I'd lose CTC, IS and CB - basically I'd bring no money into the partnership at all (no maintenance, I can't work). I don't feel at all comfortable with 'living' off him, especially with a child in tow and I don't think it's fair to expect him to pay to raise someone else's child.

Makes more financial sense for me to live separately, we wouldn't actually gain financially from living together. I'd lose so much that it wouldn't be compensated by shared bills, plus I get full HB so our housing costs wouldn't reduce either.

Oh well, would have been nice to have the chance to be a family, but the tories obviously don't care about that. And the ironic thing is that it costs more for the govt to pay for me to continue to live separately.

MollieO · 06/10/2010 23:36

elastamum I don't understand how your colleague will keep CB and you will lose it if you both earn the same.

MollieO · 06/10/2010 23:38

I think they are actively encouraging single parents to claim benefits what with the 1% NI increase, the reduction in childcare vouchers and now the abolition of CB. I think I should stop working full-time and take a lower paid part-time job. I'll top up my income with benefits and get to spend time with my ds. Surely a win win?!

chandra · 07/10/2010 02:05

Win win situation? the downside to it is reflected on wildcard's post.

sincitylover · 07/10/2010 14:04

this affects me too I think I will also lose CTC so approx £200 per month down

I really struggle as it is eg its about ten days since payday and my bank account is empty.

Grossly unfair - I have written to my MP and also Gingeebread and I will join the facebook group.

I have always hated the Tories and this just makes me hate them all the more.

Do any of you feel rich by the way?

I certainly don't - I shop in Lidl and Aldi.

Have few luxuries.

pithyslicker · 07/10/2010 14:09

Does everyone have really high housing costs?

Niceguy2 · 07/10/2010 14:17

My mortgage is very small in comparison to my monthly income and compared with my friends. I shop in Aldi too.

I dont feel rich at all. I just feel squeezed in every direction and my "reward" for being vaguely successful in my life, not taking on huge debts, taking risks, working hard is to be told that I have to pay even MORE tax.

sincitylover · 07/10/2010 16:30

yes since split with exh I have been living in private rental paying an awful lot for a modest, boxy three bed - it is in London however hence the cost.

sincitylover · 07/10/2010 16:32

yes mollie I am also thinking of either working less or taking lower paid job or buying holiday/paying in more pension.

Im sure that's not what the govt intended though

sincitylover · 07/10/2010 16:34

wildcard that's interesting - would you still lose out on cb even though dp is not your dcs father - surely they can't have it both ways.

I don't understand why if you move in with someone then they should be contributing to a dc who is not their IYKWIM

cashmygold · 07/10/2010 18:34

I don't feel at all comfortable with 'living' off him, especially with a child in tow and I don't think it's fair to expect him to pay to raise someone else's child.

Well he does this through the tax system anyway!!!

cashmygold · 07/10/2010 18:37

At the end of the Tories are all about the nuclear family unit, and don't seem to recognise that relationships fall apart.

ValiumSingleton · 07/10/2010 20:29

I am disgusted on your behalf. I used to live in the UK until I became a lone parent and left (due to having no money). I think it is absolutely outrageous.

That asshole really hates single mothers, even if they're paying tax!!!! I really hope his wife leaves him.

Flighttattendant · 07/10/2010 20:37

Hang on, hang on.

Firstly a facebook group has very little impact.

Secondly this doesn't just affect single parents, it affects single income families with two parents.

Thirdly, your thread title is very alarming as it implies all single parents will lose Child benefit.

Please calm down a little.

chandra · 07/10/2010 21:29

I'm sure that my child will move out long before I could get such salary (and I have a young child)

I'm still outraged. It is not fair, it does really seem as if they want to penalise single parents.

However I agree that the facebook book is an absolute waste of time. If you want to get some impact on this what you need as an official petition. There's no use for people to get distracted by putting their effort in small groups. If all people signed in the same place, then there would be a chance, just.

What about instead direct all the people to sign a petition here: petitions.number10.gov.uk/list ? I don't know if there is one already going but I guess that if one gets to the required level they can't simply ignore it.

fijamez · 07/10/2010 23:09

i have written to my mp (no response to date!!) complaining about the lack of fairness for single income households

This does not mean that I think all Higher rate tax payers (even single mums like me) should keep CB but that other households on the same income should lose it - at least that would be fair

otherwise either leave it alone or cancel it altogether and increase tax credits

sanfairyann · 07/10/2010 23:13

Let's harness the power of mumsnet and protest about all the cuts aimed directly at families.
I've started a thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/in_the_news/1057521-so-if-we-really-are-all-in-it-together-let here, come and join us. I'll join the facebook group as well - the more the merrier

lilac21 · 08/10/2010 00:02

I'm a teacher approaching the 40% bracket since I'm senior and work in London. I am about to lose my child benefit, my pay has been frozen and now they want my pension too, which I only started to pay into ten years ago so I need every penny.

I have a £150,000 mortgage with 20 years left to run, which takes me into my sixties. It already costs £850 a month, if the rates go up I will start private tutoring to earn some more because otherwise I will struggle. I already do Avon to make some extra cash.

No, I don't feel rich.

colditz · 08/10/2010 00:09

they know it's discriminatory against single parents, and they don't care. I rather think that was the point. The Conservative Party still treats single parents as feckless slags who deserve to be social pariahs. They hate us.

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