my wife is due july 2011...what is there now the child benefit, etc is stopping!

[johnnyd1]

Anyone have any idea as to how we support/provide for our first child? stopping money which helps bring up a newborn baby is absolutely scandalous!

They are not stopping child benefit.

Child benefit is only being cut to higher rate taxpayers. Are you a higher rate taxpayer? Did you consider how you would afford to bring up your child before your wife became pregnant? Why the expectation that you should be supported by others?

Child benefit is still available for high rare tax payers. If you're one if them then you've either over stretched financially by s mile or will be fine.

If you are claiming benefits already there's still a fair few pots to claim from but Im not sure if the details as we don't claim any. Except tax credits which have a very long firm and consider how much you work vs cost of child care etc

Child benefit is staying even for higher rate taxpayers till 2013.

hey people why the judgement! perhaps he can't work, is a student, is disabled, has some other reason...
Perhaps he is working but doesn't earn very much, minimum wage barely covers living costs so child benefit is there for a reason... I'm sure you all receive it.

Actually I was asking around working family tax credit etc, both myself and my wife work but thanks for all the pre-judgement. As it is our first child and there is so much in the news about higher earnings limits changing we thought asking people with experience would help. We are weighing up the pro's and con's regarding paying for childcare or my wife staying home for a while. Clearly we asked the wrong people.

Thank you to jazz412 for speaking sensibly and actually trying to help.

johnnyd1 we're nice people, really we are!! Just some of us (and you know who you are) just have to take offence and make assumptions. About everything.

Hope you get the help nd advice you need

Thank you!

there's a website called Entitled To which you can fill in a questionnaire to see what benefits you can claim:

www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

Just to say hi to Johnny. You became a bit of a celeb amongst the pg ladies in my office in the run up to Christmas- for those who don't know Johnny was on here a few times getting tips about looking after his wife who was having a miserable first trimester! Hope you are all doing well and that she's feeling much better!

Johnnyd - my husband is a high rate tax payer and I work part time. We are expecting our 3rd child in May and when they cut child benefit for us we are going to be really, really stretched.

so it's deffinately going then...?
just for higher tax payers or all? x

Poor Johnny got an roasting on here! Hope your wife is doing better? I work full time as does my hubby am not on a higher rate tax payer mind! I have savings etc but understand where Johnny is coming from, I am not a sponger but think after years of paying tax (and funding spongers) My baby deserves the same help I have been funding for years. Some people don't use credits and benefits in their babies interests which is a shame.

I have to admit I have not looked into all the changes. I know the initial baby payment was axed. Will check out the link above. We will be really stretched once baby arrives. And prob for the next 18 years!!

As far as I know it's still going ahead for any family where there is one or more high tax payers. I am hoping and hoping they change this and at least do it means tested. Together my husband and I bring home a similar income to what friends of ours do, except neither of them are high tax payers and therefore will still continue to get child benefit. The thing that hurts me the most is that my income is very small in comparison to my husbands and I tend to pay out on the children's clothes / activities etc while he pays for the house / bills etc - losing £120/£190 a month will be a big blow to what I can afford for my children.

Hi Johnnyd,

My husband is a high rate taxpayer so I looked onto this myself as I'm due with our first child in July too. We'll be able to claim child benefit from when the baby is born until the new system comes into force in 2013. I haven't been able to find out when in 2013 this is supposed to happen but it does give us at least 18 months under the old system where we can plan and save for when the changes come into force.

And ignore those who have criticised your concerns. None of us know anything really about your financial situation and if it's a worry for you then we're here to support you.

Hope that helps.

Hi Johnnyd

Off the top of my head I think you'll get around £40 a month tax credit if you earn between £24k and £40k and about £80 a month in child benefit so long as your household income is below £40k. Child tax credit used to be double in the first year because of a baby supplement but that's been axed. I think you might get a childcare element but tbh we've never used that as I've stayed at home instead. I hope that helps.

Omg!!! I have just worked out what I will be getting money wise once my 90%smp stops....am now realising I won't be able to take a year off with my new bubs :-(

I know you'll cut back and manage and that's why We saved but looks like savings will be paying mortgage.....oh to be rich...now where's that lotto ticket....!!???

Will have to look at returning earlier but I wonder if can go back part time to begin with...

jimmy choo 17
I'm exactly same - as main bread winner me not earning full amount meansd earlier return that I'd like, I've been saving as much as possible since finding out I was pregnant which will then cover mortgage after 90% stops, but thats it. I feel we get hit doubly because as higher tax payer I will be entitled to very little, ironically if husband was the higher rate payer and I want we'd be so much better off for mat cover.
I dont expect other people to pay for my choice to have a baby but after paying my way up from state secondary school throughuni, taining schemes etc and paying tax since 16 it would be nice to have a little help for just a few months so I can be off with my new baby... a tad sexis me thinks??

excuse sp, on phone sorry!!