So I think Child Benefit should be means tested...

erictheviking

ei.sdraob wrote: »

clothes, books and toys can be reused especially if theres an age difference between kids

ever hear of economies of scale?

it applies to sprogs too

:D You obviously don't have kids!
Parents are told school books will last a few years only for the publishers to bring out revised additions every year.:eek:
While this is going on school books can't be re-used by younger siblings

recessionproof

Excuse my lack of knowlege of the welfare system but i have to ask some fairly straight-forward questions.

Why does child benefit exist? Seriously why?

I believe that everyone has the right to choose to procreate.

Is it to encourage people to have children? Are we underpopulated?

Do we not have enough people in the country who exist below the poverty line?

Penalising them by taxing a benefit which doesn't make sense isn't a solution its picking easy targets that have no power to retaliate.

Why should taxpayers who don't have children (because they can't or won't) pay for others to? This only creates resentment.

I think there may be tax credits for parents so they can adequately care for the children that they choose to have, surely that is a far better solution than handing out benefit (and if there isn't then there should be).

That way it would encourage people to have children because they want, not because they are an income stream.

Taxing benefit is a joke, incentivising people to work (when things change and jobs exist again) and take home a fair wage that meets their personal needs and life choices is far more equitable.

Liam Byrne

Riskymove wrote: »

you say it would "penalise" the sensible family... but if they are having children they cannot afford without CB then what's the difference?

would they not think twice about having more kids?

And in all fairness, what's wrong with thinking twice, if the issue is that you can't afford them ?

Liam Byrne

User21027 wrote: »

Darragh, you have come out with so many flying statements that i'm crouching behind my sofe here.

Like Ddad said, you are not in prison, but your taxes pay towards them

In all fairness, having thugs and scum in prison benefits everyone, so that's not a valid example. I've no pbjection to paying taxes in order to help make life safer; I'll never "use" the prison, but its use benefits the law-abiding citizens (not enough, given our repeat offenders and the standard of living within the prison not being a deterrent, but that's a separate argument for another thread)

irish_bob

recessionproof wrote: »

Excuse my lack of knowlege of the welfare system but i have to ask some fairly straight-forward questions.

Why does child benefit exist? Seriously why?

I believe that everyone has the right to choose to procreate.

Is it to encourage people to have children? Are we underpopulated?

Do we not have enough people in the country who exist below the poverty line?

Penalising them by taxing a benefit which doesn't make sense isn't a solution its picking easy targets that have no power to retaliate.

Why should taxpayers who don't have children (because they can't or won't) pay for others to? This only creates resentment.

I think there may be tax credits for parents so they can adequately care for the children that they choose to have, surely that is a far better solution than handing out benefit (and if there isn't then there should be).

That way it would encourage people to have children because they want, not because they are an income stream.

Taxing benefit is a joke, incentivising people to work (when things change and jobs exist again) and take home a fair wage that meets their personal needs and life choices is far more equitable.

handing out benefits to goverments is like handing out sweets to parents , the kids like the voters lap it up