Child Benefit Changes

[Beach Hut]

This...£60K is a bloody good salary IMHO and frankly it's shocking that anyone should get any benefits on top of that.

So people who get over £60K of benefits doing f*** all but breed kids are fine then..............

 

[Westdene Seagull]

So people who get over £60K of benefits doing f*** all but breed kids are fine then..............

I'd struggle to find any evidence at all of ANYONE getting over £60k of benefits - even in the Sun or the Mail !!!!!!!

 

[Butch Willykins]

I might be wrong, but surely child benefit was to ensure children of less well off couples didn't suffer poverty - even when I was single I wouldn't have begrudged couples getting money to ensure children were well fed and clothed ?

I agree. But I would suggest the vast majority of people receiving child benefit are not in poverty at all. It seems a very outdated benefit.

 

[Beach Hut]

I'd struggle to find any evidence at all of ANYONE getting over £60k of benefits - even in the Sun or the Mail !!!!!!!

OK then not £60K but they breed kids to get benefits to abuse the system, that all OK is it whereas what I lose is around 30% more of what I pay every month in tax.

This is a pretty poor decision in my view.

 

[The Modfather]

The system is quite clearly farcical when say, someone like Paul McCartney who had a kid a few years ago can claim child benefit. It clearly needs to be means tested. Other aspects of the benefits system needs urgently reviewing, and means testin., For example, I do not understand why pensioner, Alan Sugar needs a bus pass & winter fuel allowance payment

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I agree. But I would suggest the vast majority of people receiving child benefit are not in poverty at all. It seems a very outdated benefit.

Agreed - hence why is should be ( and to a point is being now ) means tested.

 

[Butch Willykins]

Who's going to look after you when you're old then? Having kids is expensive, even if one is sensible and one lives within one's means. It is to the benefit of society at large if children do not grow up in (relative) poverty. That's not to say that the system has been satisfactory.

OK. Lets give out vouchers for school meals, school uniforms etc instead. The reason I say this is because most of the recipients of CB that I know put the £180 odd (tax free) they receive a month straight into their summer Holiday fund.

The current system just doesn't seem right.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

OK then not £60K but they breed kids to get benefits to abuse the system, that all OK is it whereas what I lose is around 30% more of what I pay every month in tax.

This is a pretty poor decision in my view.

No this decision is a good one. In fact it should have removed child benefit from any household / individual ( I refer to post #13 ) that earns more than £45k. Alongside that it should only be paid for two children.

 

[crabtree seagull]

Yep and me.

I don't mind missing out if it is fairly done but a couple both earning £49,000 each a year get to keep their child benefit but we lose ours with a single income well below the income of the couple still claiming theirs.

Totally agree with this. I've sent a stinking email to George Osborne. I wont do any good, of course but it made me feel slightly

Not had a reply and not expecting one

 

[Westdene Seagull]

OK. Lets give out vouchers for school meals, school uniforms etc instead. The reason I say this is because most of the recipients of CB that I know put the £180 odd (tax free) they receive a month straight into their summer Holiday fund.

The current system just doesn't seem right.

I like that idea actually - free school meals and school uniform for all children going to state school and scrap child benefit for all children over 5.

 

[Driver8]

Two kids - aprox £1600 benefit
Tax - £500 odd.

£1600 net for a higher rate tax payer would need gross income of £2,758.

 

[crabtree seagull]

Yep and me.

I don't mind missing out if it is fairly done but a couple both earning £49,000 each a year get to keep their child benefit but we lose ours with a single income well below the income of the couple still claiming theirs.

Totally agree with this

I've sent a stinking email to George Osborne. It wont do any good, of course but it made me feel slightly better

Not had a reply and not expecting one

 

[The Modfather]

Totally agree with this. I've sent a stinking email to George Osborne. I wont do any good, of course but it made me feel slightly

Not had a reply and not expecting one

Good on you for contacting boy George

 

[crabtree seagull]

OK. Lets give out vouchers for school meals, school uniforms etc instead. The reason I say this is because most of the recipients of CB that I know put the £180 odd (tax free) they receive a month straight into their summer Holiday fund.

The current system just doesn't seem right.

What a fantastic idea

 

[crabtree seagull]

Good on you for contacting boy George

Will put his reply on here if he bothers. Will be sending it onto local MP if he doesn't

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

The system is quite clearly farcical when say, someone like Paul McCartney who had a kid a few years ago can claim child benefit. It clearly needs to be means tested. Other aspects of the benefits system needs urgently reviewing, and means testin., For example, I do not understand why pensioner, Alan Sugar needs a bus pass & winter fuel allowance payment

Agreed. However i think it is said that it would cost a lot to collect a little.

But, if ALL benefits like Child benefit, free TV Licence, bus passes, winter fuel allowance were means tested surely that would be fairer?

 

[Butch Willykins]

Will put his reply on here if he bothers. Will be sending it onto local MP if he doesn't

Mike Weatherley is too busy dodging rocks at the moment to reply!!!!

BBC News - Mike Weatherley at Sussex campus

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Agreed. However i think it is said that it would cost a lot to collect a little.

But, if ALL benefits like Child benefit, free TV Licence, bus passes, winter fuel allowance were means tested surely that would be fairer?

The only one I disagree with being means tested is the free bus pass - surely encouraging people out of their cars is a good thing. There's no better group than to do that with than old people as many shouldn't be driving anyway ( and I include one of my own parents in that statement before people jump up and down ! ).

 

[The Modfather]

Agreed. However i think it is said that it would cost a lot to collect a little.

But, if ALL benefits like Child benefit, free TV Licence, bus passes, winter fuel allowance were means tested surely that would be fairer?

Yep, agree with that 100%

 

[Uncle C]

Those people that get bus passes but dont need them will not travel on buses, so what's the problem.