Should child benefit be means tested?

[JustineMumsnet]

There's a new report from the Tax Payers' Alliance which recommends means testing for child benefit - possibly scrapping it for households with an income of more than £50 000. Channel Five Live would like to know what mums think of the idea?

(Am going on at 11)

I actually agree that it should be means tested - I think that anyone earning over £50,000 per annum should be able to manage on that salary. We have a household income of less and live in an expensive part of the South East, it is do-able.

Society can't on one hand say that politicians earn 65k a year which is a great salary, more than triple the average uk salary and they shouldn't be allowed expenses blah di blah and in the next breath say that 50k isn't enough for a family to live on.

Have you read the actual report? Link here, the savings are enormous and they will be increasing the child element of tax credits (who would administer it) and ensure that lower income families aren't penalised. We have to have cuts somewhere and I for one don't think middle class benefits are the worst place to start!

I could manage on less than £50k a year, of course I could. We wouldn't own a house or a car, but we could certainly manage

NO!

And furthermore childcare should be tax deductable.

And we could always cancel the the ID Card scam. That will save millions.

and scrap the replacement of trident... the figures given in the report for savings lump together child benefit and the child trust fund. two different things IMO

I think tax credits should be reduced and child benefit increased.

The Tories have pledged to cancel the ID card scam, but the Labour party have deliberately designed it so most of the money has already been wasted.

wonderstuff, raising VAT is not a good idea. Everyone pays VAT on goods and services regardless of their income and so although you may not notice the increase lots of people on a low income would.

I know but we'll have a to wait a while before we can say Prime Minister Cameron.

Is the Tax Payer's Alliance a right wing think tank?

Haven't read the thread but yes I think it should be means tested. We get it, it disappears into God knows what black hole of a bank account & we wouldn't notice if it didn't come in.

Yes but only if they abolished the farce that is tax credits and had one universal child benefit system on a means tested sliding scale where more money was given to the poorest families whilst the over 100K earners get nothing.

I thought the Tax Payers' Alliance was to stick up for the middle man, but if they think £50k a year is peanuts then they're obviously representing those with very much larger pay checks.

NO! and £50k is such an arbitary figure. it doesn't take into account any expenses that people have. We earn a bit over £50k and need the child benefit, it pays for things such as food for DS.

If i was just taxed less in the first place then i might be able to afford to live without my tax credits but need the Child Benefit.

Suppose we could sell the house: oh that's not really possible in the currently climate is it as the mortgage is not much less than the value of the house.

yes it's a right-wing think tank

mumblechum, it's not compulsory to claim it.

No. Because it is child benefit - for the child.

The TPA are an independent think tank, the main aim is to lobby for lower taxes and no EU - as I understand it, met the Campaign Director at an event a few weeks ago.

The trouble with £50k (or any arbitrary figure) is that to some people it's a hell of a lot of money and more than enough to have a very comfortable life with, and to other's it's about the right amount to pay your horrible mortgage and run the car (just)

For instance - if we'd bought a house 10 years ago (nearly did) our mortgage would be half of what it is now. much of it would be paid off, and assuming our salary would be similar, we'd have at least another £500 a month to spend on anything we liked!

Is the Tax Payer's Alliance a right wing think tank?

Pressure group more.

No. So many benefits don't get taken up because they are difficult to apply for and the whole bloody system is confusing. This would just make it worse.However well intentioned it always seems to betrhat those who most need the help end up getting squeezed out.
I claimed for DS1 and Ds2 but we had much more money after that so have never claimed for DD. I can't believe that I am the only one who doesn't claim because they don't need it.

They are proposing to abolish ID cards, sure start, education maintenance allowance - loads of stuff!

Yes it should be means tested in some form or another, although not sure about the £50k limit or the idea of any arbitrary cut off.

Our household income is significantly more than that and I think it's ludicrous that we are entitled to CB and to £190 in pregnancy to buy bananas or whatever I'm supposed to use it for.

Clearly there are many people in far more need of that money than us.

Lods of stuff has to be abolished because of the financial mess that Gordon Brown led us into.

No more bust and boom... doesn't say that anymore.