We've been asked to comment on the effect of the budget on Parents for Radio 5 tonight and they're particularly interested in your views - so if you've anything good or bad to say, any anecdotes as to how it will affect you, anything witty, pithy, helpful at all, please post it here!
In case the whole thing's passed you by (you're not alone) they sent through the main headlines that they want to talk about so I've pasted them below - warning this is a bit long!
Their question is :"Chancellor Gordon Brown has stressed that his ninth Budget puts "hard-working families first", helps pensioners and young homebuyers. ... But how will the budget changes benefit parents?
The main points on familes seem to relate to children. The most eye catching measure is that payments for children under the child tax credit system will rise each year in line with earnings (there were previously tied to inflation/prices and therefore had been rising far more slowly) and over the coming three years by a total of 13 per cent.
Does this mean anything to any of you? I'm not even sure who gets tax credit ie how much you need to be earning/not earning and how it's paid. There's been some talk I know about it being quite complicated to claim - anyone any experience? Will this increase affect any mumsnetters?
The government is also considering whether or not to extend Child Trust Fund payments (due to come into effect this April) into primary and secondary school years. I think this means that those with children at school now might also get the one off payment of £250 to invest. Would you welcome this - or do you think the money would be better spent on other things to help families.
They've raised the Stamp Duty threshold from 60,000 to 120,000 - will that help you?
The Inheritance Tax threshold is also raised from 272,000 to 275,000 (gee whizz) and set to rise to £300.000 in the next three years. I think this is quite interesting. I assumed inheritance tax was for the super rich, but if your folks live in London, even a modest terrace or flat somewhere central it will be worth more than this. Not sure if you just pay tax on the bit over £300,000 - but will this affect you, make you have a conversation with your folks about handing the money over now?
Child benefit has gone up by some miniscule amount - by 50p to £17 a week for the first child and up 35p to £11.40 for other children - does that bother you, or do you just see that as a nice little extra you don't really need? When I was little child benefit was a really important part of our income
Mr Brown promised to boost the primary schools re-building programme by £650m by 2010.
What does that mean? Mending new roofs or new schools?
Help promised for early learning in every area for all children who need it - again question what that means, sounds like politic-speech. Would you like more early learning provision (or would you quite like the option for them to stay at home longer - and maybe you get something for staying there with them?)
He announced a five-year, £1.5bn programme to renovate and renew further education colleges and Investment in the three-year programme for IT capital in schools will be raised to £1.67 billion.
All these figures sound good, but tricky to know what they mean in real terms - will it help you children?
Doesn't seem to be anything on tax relief on childcare - would you welcome that?
Anything else that's affected you/ you'd like to see.
Sorry that was so long. All comments welcome
Thanks in advance