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)

We would fall into this category - ALL ( and a bit over my salary goes on childcare, household bills, mortgage. All DHs on car, pension, insurance, commute costs, council tax, food. Currently - there literaly isn't anything left over to save for our children - I try to put CB money into a child savings account so that when they need education later on, need help to start out on their own, there will be something there.
Means test by all means but take the whole picture into account - for those of us who do not own numerous investment properties, barely have equity in the house we do own, have no savings but lots of debt, live in a very expensive part of the country and although we fall into this band because we meet some magic number...be aware some of us are also just keeping our heads above water - try and be realistic about what you plan to cut and from whom.

I'm another one who needs that money coming in. I lost my job 6 months ago, the JSA is about to run out, and because DH earns what he does, just over 50K (most of which goes on mortgage, but a lot of what he earns is taxed at 40% because he HAS to have a company car), we'd be in dire straits without that bit extra.

I Think I must have been tired when I posted.
I I fully agree that you can still be struggling on 50k. As previously stated we have high mortgage repayments. Way above MPs suggested amount and we don't live in a mansion. No overseas holidays.
Worthless shares that I worked hard to earn.
No chance of work because we do not get childcare element of tax credits.
Can't even have another child because we can't afford too. Yet if we were on a lower income we would be paid to have more children! (Probably not much but something)
I agree people like Posh and Becks don't need it and probably shouldn't be paid it but leave us middle incomers alone.

I was very against this to start with but it is so inevitable that I've given up my passion for the topic...

It's on the way out - I would put good money on the fact that NONE of the parties will keep child benefit for families earning 50k.

In 2 years time we will all be much worse off to the tune of several thousand a year.

Buy yourself a new sofa NOW!

Sandy22: My list was a tongue-in-cheek breakdown demonstrating that 50k is not buying you a "golf-club" lifestyle

Sorry Electric Elephant I was agreeing with you.

NO - child tax credits is a means tested benefit, and look what a mess that is!

And once again, another thread demonstrating the negative effect of high house prices (= £50k not going very far due to mortgages).

It's deja vu all over again!

Morning paper we just have. And will still be paying for it in two years time. You are so right morning paper that 50k isn't a huge sum. Perhaps they should make in 75K as thats now the cut off for the basic tax credit element.

[waits for all the all the folks making £75k to appear and inform everyone how that's not a large sum, either . . . ]

Greeting from, 'The-cut-off-for-Working-Tax Credits-is-£15,000/annum-Gross-Per -couple/family' land.

CB is universal. What would have to be weighed up is the cost of the universal benefit over the cost of the administering it if it were to be means tested. I think that as a universal benefit it is cheaper.

ExP I bet she meant CTC- bloody easy to confuse LOL

If it costs more to adminsiter then there is no bloody point IMVHO. If it means people can then spend less, affecting employment / possibly nutrition and life chances()sports, activities etc) then it is going to be a negative move.

If they can prove that the overall cost to the economy all things considered is going to be even a + sum I would be surprised, tbh. And if not then what is the point?

Having a small surplus each week is important in terms of furthering life chances for both this and the next generation- giving people access to training, nutrition and generally all those things that then go on to make people self supporting and off tax credits entirely.

How many women will find it worth their while to work with £X off their earnings each month? And then when they don't work, CM's and nurseries etc will struggle- its a cycle.

Our government is disgusting.

I need the CB. It helps pay for the family shop as my wages go on childcare, petrol, car insurance, council tax, credit card (my own fault I know), Next catalogue (again my own fault). Amongst other things.

DH pays for the mortgage, home b+c insurance, his car petrol/insurance/tax etc.

I'm currently pregnant with dc3 and very hormonal - this has officially sent me into a panicked frenzy.

I don't want to lose the £130 a month CB. I need it.

The government needs to focus on cutting costs elsewhere. Stop punishing us who work hard for our money and need every bloody penny of it after they put the prices up on everything.

Oh, and I am NOT voting labour next time - this year has been appalling.

I think the reason behind it was that there was concern that many men, regardless of income, were not supporting their families properly ie drinking away their earning in the local pub and children were suffering hence the idea that it normally goes to the mother. ie a poster mentioned a thread about a woman who runs the house only on tc and cb and dp used his income for whatever he liked.Look at the failure of the csa to 'force' fathers to financially care for their children - it can happen also where couples are together.

No, I don't think it should be meantested. You don't get it automatically anyhow - you have to apply and I'm sure there are people out there who have not bothered to claim. It's a relatively small amount anyhow but for those on a very low income it's essential.

ha ha. there goes the only and LAST thing the gov't 'gives' us.

go on

take it.

you sad fuckers.

Sorry, £130 a month? I must be missing something...

On another note - our childcare bill is over £200 this month. I work 1 day a week... Fuck...Ing..Hell....

yeah, do away with Cb for us 'rich people'. we won't notice it.

Sandy22 ''you can only earn £50k or more if you have education/drive/ambition - I have all of these thanks! ''

Um yes - Sorry, but you can only earn £50kpa if you have drive/ambition/strong work ethic. Useless couch potatoes aren't ever going to get that high, are they?

'realised that all MNers that earn less than £50k will now take this as personal insult, even though that is nowhere near what was intented'

Also - Riven, didn't mean to upset you

I get £130 for 2 children aged 3 and 4.

Sorry - I really should have stated that!

yeah, sorry - should have figured that. Had a stupid moment

'Sandy22 ''you can only earn £50k or more if you have education/drive/ambition - I have all of these thanks! ''

Um yes - Sorry, but you can only earn £50kpa if you have drive/ambition/strong work ethic. Useless couch potatoes aren't ever going to get that high, are they?' I will avoid the insult quotient and point out that £50k depends on where you live- back in Somerset my almost- £20k salary was by far the highest of my friends, and DH'sabove-that virtually unhead of- and here in South Wales that would be even more.

At least here houses are to match- certainly not the case back home (a part of why we are here)

I don't think they should means test child benefit. If they're saying scrap at £50K a lot of people would lose out on much lower household incomes.

I'm in London and our household income before tax etc is just over 50K (or would be if I wasn't having 11 weeks just on SMP this year), it still sounds like quite a bit of money. But over two thirds of my wages when I go back to work next month will go on childcare for 2 under 3s - it would be 80% if my dad wasn't helping us out, and fares to work are more than £100 a month. So just over £30 a week will be quite a substantial proportion of our income that isn't just paying the cost of going to work.

I hate the Tax Payers Alliance. I'm a taxpayer, but also a parent and a public sector worker who can't afford to opt out of state services, and they don't represent me.

Yes it's very easy to feel RICH in Somerset

I was reading the council job ad's last week and of 96 ads, only 4 of them were over 20k.

Defitely NO - child benefit is a great example of a simple, universal system which works well.

Morning paper, ur drawn up budget almost made me cry! We have a household income of 18000 for my dh,myself and ds. Every month is a struggle and we are left with nothing, and sometimes into the minuses! We are incredible lucky if we get to go out for a meal once a month let alone every week. I'm currently a sahm struggling to find a suitable job because of my dh being in the forces and the possibility of moving any time soon, and because the jobs I have seen advertised would mean I'd be paying out nearly all my wage in childcare and we wouldn't be much better off because off the cut in tc. I don't think cb should be cut for people on 50k+ a year but I do wish I got more!

Yummy- we feel your pain, we get DH's PT work (£50 p/w), my carers (£53 pw) and a student loan/ grant for DH (except that hasn't been processed yet ), wtc / ctc are our saviour as is CB. We can't get HB as the postal strike delayed our papers beyond their cut off and now they're not responding to emails; bastards!

DoNotPress, are you able to get to a councilor's surgery and ask him/her to chase the housing benefits team for you? It's fairly obvious that post just isn't going through for lots of people. Good luck.