Why do twin parents pay double but get no extra help?

[Twinmama11]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately… having twins means buying everything x2, but there’s not really any extra support or discounts out there.

It kind of feels like we’re just expected to manage it?

Does anyone else feel like this or is it just me?

@Diamond7272 still waiting for you to answer my question about if you have kids.

I never actually said that I believe parents of twins should be paid more or get more leave. You are correct though that it doesn't have anything to do with you.

Dozens!

I like your aggressive tone. Riled or just having a bad day?

Financially your choices should have nothing to do with me...

I don't care what you do with your life.

But don't ask for special treatment because you can't afford to raise your kids, twins, quads whatever. You get child benefit. That's enough.

I didn't ask for special treatment though 😂

Also woo, that £14 a week in 2019 for the second twin definitely made a huge difference to my budget when preparing for 2 babies at one time and then caring for them with double the costs of one child. Certainly didn't cover the council tax 😂

You get 2 child benefits
Most people child benefit is their only help
so yes you get extra help.

Not at all. Just those who always talk about IVF in the way you do never have any issues conceiving but are happy to tell someone infertile to suck it up if you can't conceive naturally.

Hoping to have a third child through IVF soon. 👍

It isnt enough actually. Other countries are more generous.

Well done you.

Hope you don't grumble that you need special treatment later. 😏

Yes no fertility problems here. No desire to whinge about needing 2 car seats at once either😭

Easy problem to solve. Sell the car. Use public transport with the money. Walk. Problem gone.

Here's your 🥇

Typical mumsnetter. Don’t care for anyone else but themselves. With your attitude, we shouldn’t help anyone in society and everyone should just suck it up. I bet if you ever faced any hardship in your life you’d soon change your tune.

You are so bitter. I feel so sorry for you.

Potentially, but what you describe would generally be covered as sickness absence for the mother, or parental leave- which may be required for parents of a sick child at any stage throughout childhood. Maternity leave is specifically for recovery from pregnancy and childbirth and to allow for the acute initial care and bonding needs of newborns. Motherhood isn't an illness in itself even though pregnancy and birth can create other medical issues. Recovery from carrying and birthing multiples is likely to take longer because caring from them as newborns is much more gruelling.
You are right, it isn't a race to the bottom. For instance, I hope never to read a MN thread at which parents of sick or dying babies are castigated for needing time off work because they chose to have children. Or for mothers suffering from birth trauma or acute PND that they are wasting other taxpayers' money by needing treatment for preventable conditions 'since we all know having sex can lead to maternal psychosis'.
If I ruled the world twins would definitely trigger Mat Leave @ ×1.5, and triplets at ×2 of the base allowance. And I would provide means-tested grants or interest-free loans for the set-up costs of multiples. Child benefit is provided to most families, not on the basis of what they can afford but on what children are likely to need. I think that should mean CB can take care of the additional costs of twins once they are up and running.

Aside from the uniform change which is unfortunate, did you have to buy two completely new uniform sets for secondary school in the same September? Literally everything? Once uniform is bought once, for all of my kids we replace bits and bobs as we go along which I assume is the norm.

Fair point - I know we are fortunate. We did it as cheaply as possible with the least expensive local instructor and the kids paying what they could. My husband is a mechanic so we bought cheap 'write-off' cars from the salvage and he has done them up. But still eye-watering!
It's not really a luxury as we live rurally and there is no public transport - so as they will be looking for jobs soon it was really a huge relief to get them mobile.

You chose to have kids, anyone could have twins or even more.
In the UK you get child benefit and possibly universal credit, in other countries you have to be prepared better, just in case.

Of course you're 'supposed to manage it' as is anyone who has children. I had twins, then another one within a year. I 'managed it'

Anyone could, very few do. It's not unreasonable for a multiple pregnancy to come as a shock. It's also not unreasonable to acknowledge that multiples cost more than singletons, and in some cases the cost of having two (or more) babies at once is crippling.

You sound like grabber who has been hard done by.

Loads of places do twin discount for baby stuff.
You get 30 hours funded childcare for both children.
a lot of places you can get child free place for holidays, and that’s the same as the rest of us with more than 1 child.
I’ve had large age gaps so have had to buy everything new each time. That’s not any one else’s fault or problem! I just buy savvily and buy at good times, Black Friday etc.
i don’t know what else you think you’re entitled to because you’ve got twins that isn’t the same when you’ve got 2 or more children?

Preach!! I was trying for one last child. And got twins. I’m beyond blessed but I wasn’t financially planning for 2. The only thing I think needs changing for parents of multiples is maternity leave and pay. It should be longer and we should get more pay in my opinion. And paternity leave should be double. 2 weeks is not long enough. I also feel like aftercare should be a lot better with parents of multiples. Statistically we are more likely to seperate and suffer with depression and anxiety. So why do we get the same aftercare as someone who has had a single baby?

Because we didn’t plan on having 2. We were trying for 1, that’s the difference.

It's not the same as one child though is it? It's a lot more expensive than one child.

It’s a choice to have children though. And a choice to have IVF to have children. And if you’re on a waiting list presumably you’re waiting for NHS funded IVF. So actually you’re receiving a lot of support from the taxpayer. So after taxpayer funded IVF, which is more likely to result in twins or more due to multiple embryo implantation, you also want taxpayers to provide additional support - beyond what any parent would receive for two children - because your children are born at the same time. I just can’t imagine what else you could possibly expect.

My attitude would be how fortunate to have struggled with fertility and then end up with two lovely babies when you were expecting one and at least there will be no going through additional IVF rounds at personal cost of you want another