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Original poster

tax credits chat re cuts 2016

110 replies

SuMBODY · 08/10/2015 19:17

namechanged .

as a family of 5, both me and dh work full time, 1 of the dcs is disabled so we receive the disabled and severely disabled element of tax credits, as well as a little extra as our wages aren't the best.
With the proposed changes to tax credits, we are set to lose approx £70 a week, now this may not seem a lot to some, but having a child with extra needs, this money is a huge relief to us and helps us immensely.
Now the thought of losing it means some serious cutbacks to my family , overtime is not an option at present for me or dh because I have only recently gotten my 20 hour contract upped to a 30 after 9 year !
It is an extremely worrying and stressful time for my family, and I imagine others are feeling it too.
it is awful that the cuts are mainly being targeted at those who work, yes the benefit cap is being lowered for those that don't work, but that's another thread.
I keep seeing articles online and in newspapers that estimates families will be up to £1200 worse off a year, when infact we will be nearly £3000 worse off.
As long as David Cameron and George Osbourne are sitting pretty after claiming their petty expenses is all that matters I suppose Angry
They dont see how it is affecting everyone as individuals :(
just thought id start a post incase anyone wants to discuss.

OP posts:
MissFitt68 · 08/10/2015 19:34

It's not great I agree

But I do remember the time before we had tax credits and wonder how we all coped back then

Ekorre · 08/10/2015 19:43

How did you fid out how much you will lose?

KatharineClifton · 08/10/2015 19:52

But I do remember the time before we had tax credits and wonder how we all coped back then

As a single parent I would of been parked on benefits as I can't bring in two full-time incomes. Tax Credits doesn't bring me anywhere near two full-time incomes obviously, but it does enable me to work.

It's absolutely scandalous what they are doing to single parents, mostly women, and I'm very surprised it's not illegal.

Original poster
SuMBODY · 08/10/2015 20:17

entitled to, on the results page, theres a section "find out how you will be affected next year"

OP posts:
gamerchick · 08/10/2015 20:20

We all coped back then because living didn't cost as much as it does now.

Original poster
SuMBODY · 08/10/2015 20:20

But I do remember the time before we had tax credits and wonder how we all coped back then

back then , how long ago are you talking exactly ? back when school dinners weren't £10 per child, or when a loaf of bread didn't cost £1.20 ? or even further back when you could treat your familyto a film at the cinema ,buy drinks and popcorn and pay busfares and still have change ?

its the goverments fault for handing out these "credits" in the first place that people have became to rely on them.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 08/10/2015 20:30

There was Family Allowance before tax credits.

Tiredemma · 08/10/2015 20:33

But I do remember the time before we had tax credits and wonder how we all coped back then

Cost of living was realistic.

megletthesecond · 08/10/2015 20:50

Just checked and and as single parent I lose £100 a month.

I could see this coming earlier in the year so my grand plan has been for me to eat a bit less Hmm. I'll come up with a better budget when I have time to sit down and think about it.

Babyroobs · 08/10/2015 21:05

I have read that the disabled element of tax credits is actually increasing, are you sure that has been factored into the figures you looked at op?

Babyroobs · 08/10/2015 21:07

The lone parents I know are set to lose tax creidts but they all work just 16 hours and have teenage kids so can up their hours to makeup the difference. i feel for those with pre -school kid swho may have high childcare costs and can't realisticaly work more hours.

Original poster
SuMBODY · 08/10/2015 21:10

I just fail to see how Mr C and Mr O can justify taking money off people so drastically and quickly with no reasoning, and think that putting the nlw up to £7.20 and increasing the earnings limit before tax will make up for the shortfall. I think not, again as long as there looking after their own and allowing claims for 9p journeys then that suits them !
its not that I don't agree with the cuts, but I think phasing them in would have been better like they are doing with universal credits.
I know some of the more fortunate mumsnetters will be rolling their eyes to "yet another tax credits thread" but this is real and we need to do everything we can in our power to try and stop it.

as quoted by the independent earlier today -

*Conservative cuts to tax credits and other benefits will push 200,000 children into poverty next year, according to new research.

The study, by the Resolution Foundation think-tank, comes a day after David Cameron promised an “all-out assault on poverty” in a speech widely seen as a grab for the centre ground of politics.

The new report found that those children affected by the cuts would be predominantly in working households and that poverty would dramatically increase despite the introduction of a higher National Living Wage *

OP posts:
MissFitt68 · 08/10/2015 21:13

Family allowance..... Wasn't that just child benefit as it's known now? My mum gave me the family allowance for me. It wasn't much. Certainly not as much as tax credits.

Cost of living wasn't that different... But of course there was no extra car/mobiles/sky/general consumerism. We came home from school for lunch, not sure if that's still allowed. We have no choice on this. It's going.

Babyroobs · 08/10/2015 21:17

Yes family allowance was what child benefit was called previously. I think before tax credits there was ? family credit for low income families but the amounts were nothing like they are now. I have been truly shocked at some of the amounts people get in tax creidts especially if they have 3 or 4 kids.

Original poster
SuMBODY · 08/10/2015 21:17

I have read that the disabled element of tax credits is actually increasing, are you sure that has been factored into the figures you looked at op?

i think what you might have read was working adults who get the disabled element for themselves of tax credits.

yet if we didn't work we would be exempt from the benefits cap due to having a disabled person in the house.
so in one sense he is protecting those who don't work, and penalising those who do Hmm

OP posts:
brokenvases · 08/10/2015 21:18

My parents received family credit which was similar to tax credits 25 years ago when my Dad was made redundant. They got uniform vouchers too.

Original poster
SuMBODY · 08/10/2015 21:26

there is other ways they can reduce the £12 billion debt bill looming over them !

12billion on foreign aid... really ? doesn't charity begin at home Hmm

OP posts:
MissFitt68 · 08/10/2015 21:28

We are taking thousands of refugees.... Not the fit healthy ones like Germany took.....we are taking he vulnerable ones who need care and services and housing and benefits. The foreign aid should be redirected to support this IMO

megletthesecond · 08/10/2015 21:45

baby childcare tax credits can be huge, iirc I received £800 CTC a month so the dc's could go to nursery. But if they're going to make lone parents work someone has to pay for the childcare, which was higher than my salary. Childcare TC isn't money for the parent to spend on food, housing or energy.

KatharineClifton · 08/10/2015 22:06

Comparing budgets like Tax Credits and asylum is the wrong question. That just achieves what they want - those with the least fighting each other, not them.

KatharineClifton · 08/10/2015 22:06

And it's not about the money anyway. It's ideology.

MissFitt68 · 08/10/2015 22:10

That was in response to su.... Making such large amounts of money available at quite short notice would indicate to me that we have no immediate need to make 'cuts', pushing kids into poverty,in a matter of months

Original poster
SuMBODY · 08/10/2015 22:22

mis I'm not sure if your last comment was an act of sarcasm Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
SuMBODY · 08/10/2015 22:32

I'm not comparing asylum with tax credits, but when is Mr C going to realise that the UK is bursting at the seams and there's not enough jobs for our own people.

We have people being denied cancer treatment on the NHS due to lack of funding,

a school meal is sometimes the only hot meal a child will receive and there is talks about cutting that.

Homelessness rates are peaking.

The list of how we bear the brunt of these callous decisions is endless.

Again, as long as they are sitting pretty in their second homes looking to see what expenses they can claim off the taxpayer next.

OP posts:
sallyst123 · 08/10/2015 22:33

I am terrified. I did the calculator & apparently we will be over 2500 worse off.
We already live day to day, no savings extortionate rent low paid jobs but we both work full time.
We don't smoke or drink. Only buy clothes when we are desperate & they are usually in bundles from eBay.
We can't cut back any more.
Really I am fretting about how I'm gonna be able to look after my kids.