Family Allowance

[poodicat]

Should it be means tested?

[mollykins]

yes, isn't it twenty pounds every week or two? My friend's family get £100 even though each of their parents earns 40-50k i think.

[poodicat]

First child gets more than the rest...

[bednobs]

it hasn't been called family allowance for a few years.

[poodicat]

Still the same different name

[B00]

Or done away with all together?

I don't understand why having children is rewarded at all to be honest.

[B00]

Its called child benefit now by the way poodi.

[tillyh345]

Child Benefit Yes should definitely be means tested.

[in a mo]

For once I agree with BOO Now watch hell freeze order.

[B00]

Errrr, have I unintentionally annoyed you previously in a mo?

[craft1948]

Means testing child benefits is apparently one of the things the new government is considering.

[boxtops]

I heard on the radio this morning someone suggesting that allowance for multiple children (I think after the fourth) should be done away with or become taxed. Only a suggestion, not Government policy. It is wrong at the moment, Princess Diana was able to claim it for William and Harry when they were babies.

[B00]

Lets just do away with it all together. Save the money, and it will hopefully help towards being a deterant to the 'baby factories' that seem to be so prolific.

[ChocolatChip]

Mmm, difficult one.
It also makes it a hell of a lot harder for people who are self-employed to recieve child allowance, as it means tonnes of paperwork! (Everything does though I suppose!)
It also means that people who 'scrounge' the system and cheat it, would be able to claim more than people who are genuine.

[craft1948]

It used to be years ago that you didn't get 'family allowance' for the first child, but this changed in the 70's for some unknown reason.
I opened a bank account for the daughter and put the money in it as I certainly didn't need it.

[factor-fiction]

Means testing encourages lying and fiddling the system. Better to gradually reduce child benefit for all or give notice that it will be reduced for future children

[micmak]

I totally agree. Young girls where I live seem to have a baby every year to stay on benefit. If child allowance didn't exist they would have to think of another way to get an income. Like paid employment for instance. A neighbors daughter has four children all by different men.

[hc4361]

Child benefit / family allowance replaced tax allowances. In those days, mainly men were working and so would claim the tax allowance for his children. In some cases the children never benefited from this at all (dad went straight in the pub) so the idea was that mother would get the money directly and father lose his tax allowance.

Of course, to benefit from tax allowance you have to actually be working or getting some sort of tax deductible income. If you weren't employed, you got no allowance.

I don't know the answer. If they made it means tested the higher earners, who already contribute a lot of taxation, will lose out, but those who live off benefits and in a few cases seem to have children just to increase the income, will not lose out at all.

[daffy654]

Craft, if you didn't need the Child Benefit why did you even apply for it?

I'm not getting at you personally but this is the main problem with the cost of child benefit in my opinion. I personally know one lady who is a married to a man who was born into lots of money (millions), who claims CB for all 3 of their children, money she obviously doesn't need.

[boro1986]

I think CB should be scrapped all together. It is a waste of tax payers money. I have a child so it would effect me but as micmak says and you see in the papers woman having child after child and it gets to the stage where they are better off on benefits costing you and me the tax payer even more. I am not anti children (i love my daughter) just hate to see our welfare state abused.