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?

yes, I get that, but most people don’t choose to have twins… it’s an act of nature. Yes, there is a risk and it’s something to prepare for, but I wouldn’t say having twins is a choice.

I don’t agree exactly with the extra discount or support but would just like to point out that often twins grow at different rates, are a boy and girl twin so don’t share clothes as much when they get older and have very different interests so clubs etc are often different as twins are individual children not one unit! Schools can also be different as SEN/disability is more common in multiple births. So the good bits posters are citing can be true but absolutely not a given!

Wait till they’re at uni 😄

I have twins and wouldn't expect any discounts due to it. Of course it's more expensive because it's 2 at the same time but that's just how it is with twins.

But you choose to get pregnant/ continue with a pregnancy whether it’s a singleton or twin pregnancy. Once you embark on a pregnancy, we all know there’s a risk of multiples.

I was told that in Italy you get two lots of maternity leave (and pay) taken back to back. I remember being astonished when a dad of triplets told me how long his wife had been off for!

I found out that I was having twins at 7 weeks. Most people find out early enough now that it is absolutely a choice to continue with a twin pregnancy.

It’s the risk you take when you have unprotected sex , deal with it.

Don’t want to ‘risk’ twins? Don’t get pregnant. As it’s always spouted on here, if a man chooses to have sex he’s accepting the chance of getting the woman pregnant. It’s no different.

In the moment it may cost more but no difference if costs are looked at over time. Twins aren’t uncommon these days due to fertility treatment etc so would be a bigger burden on businesses. I had my children 20 months apart, two buggies, two sets of shoes, two cots, two car seats etc etc. it’s a cost you factor in and then breath easier once the cost has gone whilst simultaneously missing those days.

But also 2 separate maternity leaves , I often think twin mums miss out on this !

You specifically gave the example of IVF where you can choose to use more than one embryo and said it should apply to that too though.

But the reason more than one embryo is used is to increase chances where there is infertility not to have twins.

Surely uni is one of the times you could end up paying less for 2 children than other parents? They go at the same time and there’s a chance they could share a room? No other parent of 2 children could potentially have that as an option.

It’s not a holiday though is it? It’s to enable your body to repair, for you to adjust to parenthood, to bond with your baby/babies. And often comes at a huge financial cost!

@arethereanyleftatall I would guess this hardly ever happens because twins might want to go to different unis and study different things? They are separate people with their own interests and abilities!

To be fair if people have twins here it’s 1st child rate (oldest twin) and then 2nd child rate (2nd twin) is it not?

other people with 2 kids who qualify for child benefit get paid different rates for the second child so why should twins be any different???

Sure, so my point was just that even though unlikely, it’s more likely than 2 differently aged siblings.

In my birth country (I'm not originally from the UK), you get child benefit per child so you get double the child benefit and also some extras, I can't remember what exactly but the state does make some additional provisions for twins.

However other than that, it's just.....bad luck from a financial point of view. Obviously a blessing as a family but financially twins are just tough.

You have two children. Lots of people have two children, they don't expect extra help. We all risk having twins when we choose to conceive. It's something we all accept.

You won't have to take more maternity leave off, in fact if you had originally planned two separate children, then you need less time off. You need to organise half the number of birthday parties. You get two lots of child benefit,

Maybe if the birth rate falls any lower, the govt will introduce a larger maternity allowance for each baby, but it should be for everyone, not just those with multiple births

@arethereanyleftatall you clearly haven’t met many boy/girl twins!

What are the differences in costs between having twins and having 2 babies 1 year apart?

The only thing I can really think of is having to have 2 carseats of the same age bracket whereas I could pass these down as the 1 year old could move up a carseat so the baby could have the other one.

still had to buy a double buggy, both in nappies, breastfed so didnt have forumla costs but once on normal food same as any other family with 2 kids.

Nursery - lots of families with small age gaps have 2 or more in nursery at the same time (or amend working to lessen this impact)

Toys etc can be shared, most clothes can be shared and those that cannot eg coats, special occasion outfits - no additional cost that a family with 2, especially opposite genders doesnt also have.

Plenty of people openly do it to increase chances of twins too. It’s still a choice

I have seen places offer twin discount. Some car seat retailers do. The baby sensory class we attend (and some other groups I’ve seen) do.

Over the course of a parenting lifetime I’d guess twin expenses were lower than having 2 separately so I really don’t see why discounts should be given.