Petition to reform the Child Benefit system

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There is a petition to reform the child benefit system. It suggests increasing the threshold at which it is taken away to take into account inflation and assessing eligibility on household income rather than the highest earner. It may be of interest to some of you . I hope it’s ok to post the link - just put child benefit into search bar. https://petition.parliament.uk/

It should be based on household income. Single parents are unfairly affected by this. My brother and sister in law earn £95000 between them but can claim child benefit. I earn more than the threshold for claiming child benefit so can’t claim but my income is no where near theirs. I am in a single parent household.

It suggests increasing the threshold at which it is taken away to take into account inflation and assessing eligibility on household income rather than the highest earner

That would make sense. They could scrap it in its current form and include it in universal credit, so it tapers off with increasing household income.

Anyone getting more than 50k don't need Child benefit. They arent struggling to meet and fed their dc. They want to save it and bank it.

This is interesting “Due to the Government’s policy of not increasing the threshold for HICBC, this charge now affects 1 in 5 families, raising over £1 billion each year for HMRC.”

So 80% of families are not affected by the current threshold.

I do get the argument about single parent households. However, this does add a further layer of administration which costs £.

I wonder if there is a simpler way for example giving mothers an additional personal tax allowance for children rather than paying an allowance. This way they keep more of their wages before they pay tax. It would also push the 40% thread hold up. Yes there are downsides to this but perhaps a blank sheet of paper rethink is needed.

It should be scrapped in favour of free childcare

Pretty much every other benefit is based on household income. They could have chosen to assess Child Benefit that way.

My husband works but I can’t because I have a disabled child. We get no child benefit at all because he earns slightly over the threshold. Meanwhile my sister and her husband have a higher household income from their combined salaries, they get 30k more than us but they still get full child benefit. It’s totally wrong and unfair.

Signed and completely agree it needs to be overhauled.

We don’t get it because my husband earns over the threshold but my friends do as they both earn just under the threshold so their household income is higher than ours. Not complaining that we don’t get it but it makes no sense!!

Agree it should be based on household income, not individual

Not sure I agree with this blanket statement.
I don't claim child benefits but I think your above statement assumes a single parent family earning over 50k wouldn't ever struggle to feed their children.

Where we live an average 2 bed flat within a 5 mile radius costs £1700. The average nursery is £80-90 per day. A single parent family on £50k with 1 or more children in nursery may struggle if they have no other option for child care. We've had 2 (child-free) friends have to move away due to landlords increasing their rent by over £300 per month and 1 now has to commute over an hour to keep their job.

Not my personal situation but will be for others. I'm sure some people aren't able to just up sticks and move.

Get a grip!

I do get the argument about single parent households. However, this does add a further layer of administration which costs £.

So minorities aren't entitled to fairness then?

Fine, I'll ditch my job and you can fund me. I'm fed up with running myself ragged, anyway!

After a lengthy career absence, I doubt I'll abe able to re-enter the market at the same level, so I'll be looking at 20% tax and UC!

Not true.

£50k salary is £38k take home, or £3166 per month. That isn’t a lot if it’s supporting two parents and 1-2 kids, for housing and bills, food and transport, clothes, a bit of cash put aside to pay for unexpected expenses like a new boiler or a car repair, a bit saved for summer holidays and Christmas, a bit to pay for birthday presents etc, a weekly activity for the kids like swimming or dancing, maybe a couple of treats, and you probably have to make payments towards your student loan as well. I think you’re under estimating how much just living at a normal working class level costs!

Anyway, it’s the principle. How is it fair that a family with a household income of £99k (two salaries) gets child benefit but a family with a household income of £60k (one salary) doesn’t get a penny!

I earn just over 50K. Single parent, 3 DC. It means I take home £3.1K a month.

Rent (two bed flat, london) £1.5K
Childcare (one full time nursery, two in breakfast/after school club) £1.5K

Tell me how you expect me to pay council tax/ utilities/ car insurance/ food / clothes etc etc etc with my "spare" £100 a month!

It should definitely be based on household income, like all other benefits are.

@CapturedLeprechaun I agree child benefit is unfair, but in addition so is child support - the father(s) of your kids should be making sure you can afford the necessities - the whole system is rotten whereby an absent parent can leave family in poverty

@MissusNiceGuy and if the father is dead?

Oh 100%! The child maintenance system also needs reform, and I'd sign that petition too in a heartbeat.

My ExH is currently in prison due to DV on his latest partner (which is why I left him and became a single parent), so I get nothing in child maintenance, but I actually qualify for Universal Credit, but not child benefit, which seems utterly bonkers to me.

I was just trying to demonstrate to the poster that "someone on 50K doesn't struggle to feed their kids and just wants to bank the money" is so utterly untrue.

This was to prima owl. For a single parent, there can be significant, unavoidable costs with a 50k/year job, running a car to do says job, childcare in a way two parents just don't need for shift work etc. There's only one parent in single parent families- you can't be out earning 50k AND be a stay at home mum, and shop carefully, and budget perfectly, and and and. There are costs that come with earning 50k. The child benefit system is completely unfair on single parents. Like everything else.

Same with me

Absolutely untrue when that's in London, 50k is under £3k a month, nursery fees are £1400 a month and rent on a 2 bed flat is £2k a month. How can you say single parents aren't struggling to pay all these costs alone?
Or if you really do think that 50k should be the cut off point then two working parents earning 25k each also shouldn't get it.

Agree

Surely if you only had a household income of 50k, you wouldn't be having kids. Couldn't see us being able to support a child on that.

Plenty manage on a lot less.

Maybe you just need to earn more, rather than bemoaning others salaries. Regardless, of salary the poster raises an an important point about a fair taxation system.