Child Benefit Cuts

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I know somebody who basically did just that, 5 kids by three different fathers, kids have never seen their dad(s)

I said to her current partner at the time. Dont you want to get a job, his response. "Why should I", he then totalled up all the benefit they were entitled to claim and were claiming, and it wasnt far off what I was taking home for a 40 hour week job.

Even if you took away their CB it wouldnt convince them to go back to work.

I know there are people out there who do that, but the majority of the cases that we ever get to hear about - the ones in the press etc are not representative of the wider society.

I work in deprived areas with women who have nothing, and aren't getting £40k a year on benefits. They also dont get the support to get back to work, ie affordable childcare, training courses, apprenticeships, and so on. There are so many more barriers to work.

Life on benefits isnt all £40k a year and 3 holidays to Magluf.

/ another derail

[Biker Biggles]

Throughout history all Human societies that lasted(and most higher animal ones)have clubbed together to look after their young.
It says a great deal about how sick our current civilisation is that we even need to debate issues like this.
I blame "theres no such thing as society"Thatcher.

What does pi55 me off a little bit is my mom didnt have hardly any state help when my dad died in 1978, kids of ages of7 (me), 13,15 and 17 to look after, widows allowance was less than a single parents allowance.

If my mother had access to the financial help that parents have now she would have felt like a millionaire.
We didnt have a pot to piddle in hence my mom held down 3 jobs to go with the £80 a month from my dads leyland widows pension.
So when i here some people complain, i aint got much sympathy tbh.

BTW, Fenjer, you are exactly the type of person who i believe the state should help through your bad times until you get back on your feet, this is what the government is after also, financial help when its needed until your through the tough times.

This should be however, a short term thing not a life long acceptance (not aimed at you btw)
We have a responsiblity to work to finance our way in this world unless your spouse can earn enough for the two of you.

Ive never claimed a penny in any benefit whatsoever, so what i didnt have i dont miss, but i can understand in a way if you have got used to a tasty regular payment from the government and it stops you will miss it.

I'll stop rambling now.

I'm a parent and I bust the 40% tax bracket by a fair margin, so on my salary alone realistically we are going to loose this benefit wherever they draw the line, BUT my wife earns 3 times less than me. So we won't get the benefit, whereas Mr & Mrs Smith earning £43k each, whose overall household income higher than ours, will still get it. I have no objections to loosing the benefit, TBH I won't notice, but Mr & Mrs Smith still getting paid it is wrong. They have fecked up the way they decided to calculate it.

IMO they should have chosen a middle ground based upon household income and said any household over say £50k wouldn't get it. That way I don't get it, neither does Mr & Mrs Smith, and if your over £50k you don't need it, so nobody's really got anything to complain about.

I'm not Tory or Labour, I just approach each policy on merit, so I don't necessarily think those who pay more in should take the same amount out, but I do pay £2200 per month in income tax and NI (higher than you might expect due to taxable benefits such as fuel), then my wife pays another £500 on top of that! Nobody can say that higher earners don't contribute to the system!

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Throughout history all Human societies that lasted(and most higher animal ones)have clubbed together to look after their young.
It says a great deal about how sick our current civilisation is that we even need to debate issues like this.
I blame "theres no such thing as society"Thatcher.

I think your getting confused there through your rose coloured glasses, this country helps the less priviledged a lot more than a large majority of other countries, hence why a lot of residents of these countries try to come here cos they have heard how good it is !!!

I am in favour of helping people but there are too many people intent on taking and taking without giving in return.

In past civilisations do you really think the more wealthy/ better off would keep giving to the poor without anything in return especially if they was fit and well enough for work, no they didnt, they would have them work for them in return for food / lodgings and the people who didnt get off their ass would starve.
So to summarise, in your eyes its ok for some to work hard and do well but they are give it away to the more needy or the lazy in the name of humanity?
Or i have got the wrong idea?

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

I'm a parent and I bust the 40% tax bracket by a fair margin, so on my salary alone realistically we are going to loose this benefit wherever they draw the line, BUT my wife earns 3 times less than me. So we won't get the benefit, whereas Mr & Mrs Smith earning £43k each, whose overall household income higher than ours, will still get it. I have no objections to loosing the benefit, TBH I won't notice, but Mr & Mrs Smith still getting paid it is wrong. They have fecked up the way they decided to calculate it.

IMO they should have chosen a middle ground based upon household income and said any household over say £50k wouldn't get it. That way I don't get it, neither does Mr & Mrs Smith, and if your over £50k you don't need it, so nobody's really got anything to complain about.

I'm not Tory or Labour, I just approach each policy on merit, so I don't necessarily think those who pay more in should take the same amount out, but I do pay £2200 per month in income tax and NI (higher than you might expect due to taxable benefits such as fuel), then my wife pays another £500 on top of that! Nobody can say that higher earners don't contribute to the system!

I agree Col and so do the majority of people of this country, it would be more fair this way, especially for decent paid single parents who may earn over £44k but still need the child benefit to help.

Originally Posted by specialone

I think your getting confused there through your rose coloured glasses, this country helps the less priviledged a lot more than a large majority of other countries, hence why a lot of residents of these countries try to come here cos they have heard how good it is !!!

This isnt true. I suggest you speak to the Red Cross and ask about asylum seekers before you make sweeping accusations like that. Would you leave a job as a lawyer, doctor, air traffic controller, and so on without the real and present threat of persecution?

I agree not all of them are here for ligitimate reasons, I've seen my fair share being chucked off lorries in lay-bys in europe (my dad was a long distance lorry driver) but if you knew how they had to live - in houses the council have deemed unfit for habitation - you'd not be so quick to jump on that particular band wagon. Go and work with the Red Cross for the day, see for yourself.

In fact BBC3 on Thursday at 9 - Kids With Guns. I'll bet the Red Cross will have a say in that. Bet it's an eye opener for some.

Gosh - I'm very good at jumping on the soap box tonight - sorry.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by fenjer

Gosh - I'm very good at jumping on the soap box tonight - sorry.

Ey don't apologise for having an opinion

I don't

Originally Posted by fenjer

This isnt true. I suggest you speak to the Red Cross and ask about asylum seekers before you make sweeping accusations like that. Would you leave a job as a lawyer, doctor, air traffic controller, and so on without the real and present threat of persecution?

I agree not all of them are here for ligitimate reasons, I've seen my fair share being chucked off lorries in lay-bys in europe (my dad was a long distance lorry driver) but if you knew how they had to live - in houses the council have deemed unfit for habitation - you'd not be so quick to jump on that particular band wagon. Go and work with the Red Cross for the day, see for yourself.

In fact BBC3 on Thursday at 9 - Kids With Guns. I'll bet the Red Cross will have a say in that. Bet it's an eye opener for some.

Gosh - I'm very good at jumping on the soap box tonight - sorry.

I agree there are some genuine cases but there are also a huge amount of economic migraints claiming to be asylum seekers.
Why are we still seeing people turn up in the camps in france from relatively safe non EU countries? Purely for economy reasons.

BTW dont believe everything you hear about the houses these people are offered, some are crap granted but you should see some of houses not too far from me that have been allocated for this purpose, far from unihabitable.
If their countries are so bad why travel to the furthest one away from them to seek asylum, surely the nearest safest country would suffice ??

Anyway, this is about child benefit not asylum so i will get off my bandwagon.

[timwilky]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Ey don't apologise for having an opinion

I don't

Aye lad, we have noticed.