What do you actually use child benefit for ?

[Gully]

it is verl likely that by 2013 I will be earning circa 45k. my wife earns less than 6k in a part time role and looks after our 2 girls. it stinks that we would have to lose our CB yet a couple bringing in 80k between the could keep it.

Agree with this totally, the stinking bit, as a single tax-payer with no kids and only one income I am subsidising families who potentially have an income several times what I earn...just because they have kids. Now, I am far from cold and heartless, I want benefits to go to those who have a genuine need...a combined income of around £80k, hardly places a family on the breadline, if they can't survive on that income then I will happily give free lessons in living within a budget and prioritising your income.

 

[BensGrandad]

I cannot see George Osbornes logic that to administerr it as a combined wage would be to expensive especially as we are told that HMRC have access to everybodys financial recoreds like bank accounts cre4dit card applications etc. It seems wrong that couple A with the man earning £45k per annum and the wife not working lose it but couple B next door both working and each earning £35k get it.

 

[Gully]

It seems wrong that couple A with the man earning £45k per annum and the wife not working lose it but couple B next door both working and each earning £35k get it.

Agree totally, here was a chance to get something absolutely right and fair...yet they fudged it!

 

[El Presidente]

Agree with this totally, the stinking bit, as a single tax-payer with no kids and only one income I am subsidising families who potentially have an income several times what I earn...just because they have kids.

True, but when you are a pensioner and in a care home pissing into your socks each day you will be costing the taxpayer a fortune, whereas my kids may have the inconvenience of me in their household and asking has Teddy Maybank recovered from his injury yet, but it will not be costing the taxpayer so much.

 

[beorhthelm]

I cannot see George Osbornes logic that to administerr it as a combined wage would be to expensive especially as we are told that HMRC have access to everybodys financial recoreds like bank accounts cre4dit card applications etc.

who told you that? and why do you believe it, the tresuary's right hand doesnt know there is a left hand, let alone whats going on in a dozen other departments.

 

[southstandandy]

I add it to the kids accounts which I have built up since birth. We don't personally need the extra as it's such a small amount, so we put it in a trust fund for their future to cover potential Uni fees (if they want to go) or their first car for example.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Pre school as we have to pay for the boy until January. The remainder? To be honest I don't know.My wife deals with all such matters.

 

[Gully]

True, but when you are a pensioner and in a care home pissing into your socks each day you will be costing the taxpayer a fortune, whereas my kids may have the inconvenience of me in their household and asking has Teddy Maybank recovered from his injury yet, but it will not be costing the taxpayer so much.

El Pres...that won't be happening, I am a firm believer in voluntary euthanasia, I will be taking a trip to a clinic in Switzerland if that situation ever arises and I am incapable of arranging my own departure.

 

[redneb]

it is verl likely that by 2013 I will be earning circa 45k. my wife earns less than 6k in a part time role and looks after our 2 girls. it stinks that we would have to lose our CB yet a couple bringing in 80k between the could keep it.

Can someone please please answer me this??

Lets assume the wife doesnt work. You earn £43,000 and you get your full child benefit. If you earn £44,000 you get nothing. Is this true??

What about if you pick up £1,800 a year in child benefit (3 kids). That means your actually better off asking your employer to give you a £1,000 pay cut.

Have I got that right ??

 

[PHCgull]

personally I think CB is outmoded as a benefit, just get yourself down the docs and cook up a bad back or a bit of depression...

The reason two working parents get more than one-working/one-at-home is because two working parents almost certainly have to employ some serious childcare... I know I do... (with incumbent tax and NI implications for HM R&C)

 

[Arthritic Toe]

Can someone please please answer me this??

Lets assume the wife doesnt work. You earn £43,000 and you get your full child benefit. If you earn £44,000 you get nothing. Is this true??

What about if you pick up £1,800 a year in child benefit (3 kids). That means your actually better off asking your employer to give you a £1,000 pay cut.

Have I got that right ??

Thats right, and actually the CB is tax free.

The problem with tying this to the tax system is that it wont work for many highly paid people. Many top earners who pay themselves a low salary through limited companies will still get full CB.

 

[Stew83]

I served a customer today who was livid that she would now have to fork out of her own pocket for her daughters piano lessons.

Hope you kept a straight face when she said it!

 

[clapham_gull]

Thats right, and actually the CB is tax free.

The problem with tying this to the tax system is that it wont work for many highly paid people. Many top earners who pay themselves a low salary through limited companies will still get full CB.

.. and there are possibly over ways round decreasing your salary by increasing your pension.

It seems somewhat bizarre. They don't want to pay child benefit to people with too much money, but aren't looking at means testing it.

Interesting to see who this will affect.

I'd imagine there are quite a few Tory voters earning 40 - 50K with a wife at home bringing up the kids, especially in the South.

I'd imagine they are less than best pleased, especially when they look at their Labour voting neighbours on 25K each who are still able to receive it.

 

[withdeanwombat]

I love this thread.

It shows how wonderful the coalition is.

It is a natural instinct for the Tories to want to abolish CB,whereas the LibDems would probably like to see it kept in their lentil munching way.

And so we end up with another camel designed by an incompetent committee.

Please keep this wonderful stuff up.

The boys and girls of Ealing comedy couldn't have written it.

 

[KneeOn]

I love this thread.

It shows how wonderful the coalition is.

It is a natural instinct for the Tories to want to abolish CB,whereas the LibDems would probably like to see it kept in their lentil munching way.

And so we end up with another camel designed by an incompetent committee.

Please keep this wonderful stuff up.

The boys and girls of Ealing comedy couldn't have written it.

This.

What a shit decision.

It beggers belief that 80k a week get CB but 44k a week don't, just because 80k a week has 2 working parents, where as 44k is leaving one parent at home to raise their children.

As for the CB going in to seperate accounts - in fairness anything spent in our house by my mum will benifit me. Its food, clothes, heating, mums train fare so she can get from Hove to Chichester to work and earn more money, its covering me when i'm low on cash and can't buy lunches because i'm still between paydays.

Its a lot of things, not all directly at me. But it benifits me in one way or another.

 

[BensGrandad]

who told you that? and why do you believe it, the tresuary's right hand doesnt know there is a left hand, let alone whats going on in a dozen other departments.

What are you disputing that the cost to operate the system based on the joint earnings of a couple is too expensive to administer or the fact that HMRC have access to all financial data of every individual.

 

[Bozza]

The only thing this thread demonstrates is how oblivious most of the electorate were to Child Benefit but, due to today's "shuffling" many people get to be 'Outraged of middle England'.

For the record...

Child #1 - When I directly received Child Benefit for her, I saved the money and drip fed the money into equities, in her name, saving so she could have a small nest egg when she needs it. Her mother now receives this money - I have no idea where it goes. I save some money for her every month anyway.

Child #2 - Similar to the above, we directly save the money for the wee fella to help him out at some point in the future.

Simply - it's money for the kids, not me.

 

[BensGrandad]

The only thing this thread demonstrates is how oblivious most of the electorate were to Child Benefit but, due to today's "shuffling" many people get to be 'Outraged of middle England'.

For the record...

Child #1 - When I directly received Child Benefit for her, I saved the money and drip fed the money into equities, in her name, saving so she could have a small nest egg when she needs it. Her mother now receives this money - I have no idea where it goes. I save some money for her every month anyway.

Child #2 - Similar to the above, we directly save the money for the wee fella to help him out at some point in the future.

Simply - it's money for the kids, not me.

Bozza I would think that you are in the minority and that most CB goes into the household general budget.

 

[Bozza]

Bozza I would think that you are in the minority and that most CB goes into the household general budget.

Maybe, maybe not.

I do know that for many years I have regarded it as a ridiculous benefit, featuring no element of means testing nor need. Nomatter of what we did with the money, I can't see why I'd have thought differently to that.

 

[BensGrandad]

I have always maintained that it should have been spent ina way that directly benefits the children like free school dinners or clothes vouchers for school uniforms or shoes etc.
Many years ago when I wasa young lad my mother drew iot ona Tiuesday soi that my dad could go and play darts on a Tuesday night. My wifes mum went to bingo with the money but I am sure that they were not the only ones.