OMG!

[CardyMow]

Could they POSSIBLY hit low single income families worse? Freezing child benefit for 3 years, abolishing the Health in pregnancy grant from April 2011, Getting rid of the baby element on CTC (how that helps us when I'm 3 months pg and DP only earns £16,000 is beyond me...), Lowering the thresholds for Housing benefit (we won't be able to pay our rent without the money we get on housing benefit), saying that people in social housing may no longer have a reasonable housing benefit allowance or entitlemnet for a suitably sized property. I note that they are CUTTING tax rates for businesses. Nice to know that they are hitting the poorest of us that chose to work. We are now in the situation where we are really going to have to consider whether we can AFFORD for my DP to have the luxury of having a job when we will be so much worse off than we would be on benefits, I think we may end up homeless otherwise. It might make DP feel like more of a human being to go out to work and slog his guts out for £16,000 pa, but if we can't feed our kids and pay our rent....

I know I too am quite gutted.

Loudlass - I don't think you should worry too much re; rent.
They are capping the payments to a MAXIMUM of £400 per week for a property with a maximum of four bedrooms.

Re; "baby element" of ctc, considering your husbands wage, then yes, you are going to be shafted.
However, from next April he will be taxed on £1000 less than this year, so it may, more or less, even out. Hope that helps.

You'll still get your HIP and you'll still get child benefit for the new baby, you'll just not get a 'bonus' for having a child under 1.

By my calculations HB is restricted to just over £1,700 a month - there won't be many people getting that much I'm sure.

plus there will be a £150 increase in the child element of CTC too

That you're considering your DP NOT working says alot - both about the welfare system that we have and your own values.

Cutting corporation tax will help businesses stay afloat and stimulate growth in the jobs market - maybe your DP might consider that and hold out for a better-paid job instead of giving up and going on benefits?

Why should other people pay for your lifestyle choices?

Id hardly say the baby element is a bonus for having a child under 1. They grow so quickly at this stage and will need clothes that fit. Whereas once they reach a year old the clothes do tend to last a bit longer. Then there is the cost of formula (if thats how you choose/need to feed your baby) and nappies. Im pregnant with twins and will only get the baby element for 1 of them for a few months.

Do you have a job, Loudlass?

When my children were babies I found that multi-packs of baby grows/vests cost less than my 10 year old's clothes now even allowing for rate of growth and they did both my children and were passed on to friends after.

Breastfeeding is free and formula is (or at least was) available at a discount at baby clinics and again cost less then the food my 10 year old eats.

I used washable terry nappies with both mine so I don't know how much it costs if you chose to use disposables.

The thing is, your DH earns 16K but what kind of equiv. earnt income are you currently benefitting from? If you add up Child Benefit, Child Tax Credits, Housing Benefit, ? Council Tax Benefit, etc. etc. as a family you are probably getting the same as many two income families.

Also, if you are living in social housing, they have guidelines regarding how many bedrooms you are entitled to for the size of your family, something which many families with a mortgage only dream of. Maybe instead of wondering whether your DH should work you should be planning how you could help him to increase your family income, after all you will both benefit from the increased personal tax allowance (if you choose to work) so as a couple you won't pay any income tax until you have a joint income of nearly 16K.

Must say I feel a little sorry for people living in social housing that once met their needs for family accommodation but which is now too big. However, as a country we have a real shortage of social housing so it is right that people should only be entitled to live in a property size which matches their current needs.

From January 2011, the Health in Pregnancy Grant will be abolished.

From April 2011, payment of a SureStart Maternity Grant will be
restricted to a first child (or children where the first is a multiple birth).

I fully intend to breast feed but was unable to bf my dd. Formula is about £8 a tin now and you dont get that much of a discount especially if you need to buy twice as much. Yeah baby grows and vests may be cheaper in multipacks (i have stacked up alot already) but they will also need other clothes that are not that much cheaper than what my 5 year old dd wears

Haha at size of house, I am currently in a house that is, according to my council, 'too small for my needs', I am in a VERY small 3 bed (3rd bed is a nursery size, with a 12yo in), but will get rehoused the other side of never. Aparrently I will be 'entitled to' a 4 bed property once dc4 is born, but there is a 10 year waiting list for 4 beds, by which time I will no longer qualify.

I do not work due to the fact that no bugger will employ me because I have uncontrolled epilepsy. And it's not through lack of trying either, for every shitty shelf stackers minimum wage job in my area, there are 300 applicants, who don't have medical needs, plus my DD is SN, there is no childcare AT ALL for 12yo sn dc's. My DP has no qualifications, and we can't afford for him to retrain, what the heck do YOU propose he does, or I do?

I got rid of all my baby stuff, as I wasn't planning any more dc's (my youngest is 6.5yo). My contraception failing due to my epilepsy meds was not able to be 'planned for'. My local PCT refuse to sterilise anyone under the age of 30 that doesn't have 4 dc's, and only being 28 atm, they have been turning me away for 8 years now (I first asked while pg with dc2). They have finally agreed to 'do me' once this dc is born.

While I don't work, I am currently in receipt of £285 a month DLA, which is £1,000 short on what I was earning before I was diagnosed with epilepsy 6 years ago! So yeah, it sounds awful to say we are considering DP giving up work, we are already getting LESS than we would on benefits, this is only going to make a bad situation WORSE.

And I've been brought up to have a VERY strong work ethic, with both parents working etc. I HATE being out of work. But in all reality, would you employ me, when I need a job that is 9.30-2.30, could possibly have to take up to 2 days a week off sick, might be called at any time to collect DD from school if she has a meltdown....DP has learning difficulties, therefore is not able to get a higher income job. At least we are TRYING to do the right thing and have him working, which is a lot more than MOST people I know do. If minimum wage was an actual, livable amount, then maybe it wouldn't be such an issue. 12 years ago, DP was earning almost £3 an hour more for the same job than he is today.....

Did you not consider your DP having the snip?

My PCT won't fund my sterilization and I am 37 with 3 kids.

They wouldn't do him either as only my third dc was his. So he only had one, and they won't fund the snip for someone with only one dc.

Jeepers! Thats ridiculous. My DH had the snip and it didn't work...it is a farce!

we cant afford a second child - I make very very sure that I don't get pregnant.

I appreciate what you are saying, but there must be ways you can make ends meet.

Lots of people are in difficult financial situations but have no choice but to work and to ensure they make ends meet, especially if they are paying a mortgage for example, as if you just decide to give up your job when you have a mortgage, then you lose your home.

It's ok, that's GREAT that you can ensure that your contraception is 100% effective. (which is bolleaux, as even the best contraceptives are at best 99% effective if taken properly, which means that out of 100 people taking it PROPERLY, one will still fall pregnant) It just so happens that my epilepsy medications lower the efficiency of ALL hormone based contraception. it makes it AT BEST 85% effective. Are you saying that we just shouldn't enjoy a normal sex life? How long would it be before I was a lone parent claiming EVERY benefit possible (bearing in mind my disability) if I did that? Not many men in their 30's would put up with a sexless relationship, no matter what difficulties arise from that. And nor should they have to.

I first asked to be sterilised when I was working FT and only had 2 dc's. They refused as I was only 20. I then asked after dc3. They refused as I was only 21. So DP asked to be 'done'. As he only had one dc, they refused. yet the PCT were well aware that my meds meant there was a chance we could end up with a fourth child. I don't believe in abortion.

I was recently on very strong medication that meant that if I got pregnant the foetus would be severely damaged. I had to have a copper coil fitted and use condoms. I then had to sign a form to say I would use two forms of contraception, like you I can't use anything hormonal. Was this not a possibility?

my dh had the snip after 1 child.

My meds aren't teteragenic (harmful to a fetus) but they DO lower the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives. I can't use a coil due to a tilted womb, I had one that had to be removed due to it being extremely painful. I could use 3 types of contraception at once, and still wouldn't be any more protected than with one.

poshwellies, it's not my fault that our PCT won't fund that, or that on DP's wage we can't afford to do it privately. Each PCT sets their thresholds for these things. My PCT is almost bankrupt. We don't even have certain services that would be classed as essential in other areas...No epilepsy specialist Neurologist (for 4 years, no Neuro at ALL), no epilepsy nurses, no enuresis clinic, a 3 year wait for SALT, an OT that discharges 7yo's who in any other area would still be getting intensive help, that then has to be done by untrained parents at home working of a blurry worksheet...etc etc etc.

My womb is also tilted and no problems so far, I know some makes are better than others though. Re 3 types being no better than one, don't think this is correct. 3 lots of 99% for each one must bring the risk of pregnancy down to just about 0. However, it does look as though you've done all you can bar abstaining, but what happens if number 5,6,7 or 8 comes along? Surely it is not up to us the taxpayer to pay?

If the only safe form of contraceptive is no sex and another baby means nowhere for it to sleep, what will you do?

My pct has agreed that they will sterilise me once dc4 arrives, as by the time I reach the top of the list when he/she will be 18 weeks old, I will be 30, and have 4 dc's. THAT'S how I am ensuring that dc's 5/6 or more don't happen. It's just taken me almost 9 years to persuade my PCT that it is really for the best!