Further cuts to child benefits?

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A very good friend of ours grew up in a single parent household , one of four children . and no money to go around. He was ridiculed at school by his middle/upper class fee-paying classmates. He was referred to as a poverty stricken b*st*rd ( his mother was a widow, and married at time of her kids births) , and had a terrible time at the school he attended on merit. Unlike the other kids he had won a scholarship.
From this deprived background he became the owner of a flourishing accountancy practice and is shortly retiring ,having made far more money than most of those that looked down their noses some 40 odd years ago.The moral is - do not be so quick to judge and catagorise people.:eek:
 
Any issue to do with children is bound to raise controversy.

While we (some of us, anyway) may wish the worst on those who are feckless and lazy, their children have the right to a fair chance in their future lives. In fact it is in our own interest that their children will grow up differently, if at all possible.

Cutting child benefits to poor families potentially hits the children harder than it hits the parent(s) - this is unfair on the children and may have undesirable consequences in later life for the responsible part of the population.

Agreed, but equally looking to the future, the system should not encourage those least able or willing to bring up a child properly to keep popping them out.

Perhaps a cut off date and then major reforms to the system for future claimants and future children to ensure the benefits system isnt seen as a lifestyle choice as it is now for so many.
 
I'd rather have more high rate tax payers being incentivised into having offspring than the current breeding program which encourages only the workshy and feckless.

We have a survival of the weakest breeding program currently in the UK and it *must* be turned on its head and reversed or we face a stark future.

I think this is possibly one of the more outrageous things I have read in recent times. If the children of the poor grow up and do well I am very happy for them to pay for my pension. If they turn out bad we have ourselves as a society to blame,

That said we probably share some ground as I don't think it is helpful to keep making it more difficult for working parents in moderate incomes, for example by removing higher rate tax relief in childcare vouchers, providing insufficient state funding for pre school childcare and now removing child benefit.

I think a lot of people feel the same way as Sp!ke way but are afraid to say it. It kinda needs saying though, don't ya think?

Does this also apply to the disabled and people from certain ethnic minorities who also sometimes are less successful in the labour market? Or maybe these people should just be sterilised and save everybody's time and money :wallbash:

If it involves ethnic minority parents & a culture creating disabled children from inbreeding within a gene pool limited to a village in the home country, then perhaps you are right.
 
Add on council tax and housing benefit + free school meals, school uniform voucher perhaps the odd cold payment not to mention subsidised entry into local council amenities and the figure adds up

Yep, there's definitely money in having kids...
 
But --- to answer the original question , I think IDS along with Freud, Cameron et al could not give a toss about anyone below millionaire status. Try to convince me otherwise.
 
The moral is - do not be so quick to judge and catagorise people.

Don't be so quick to categorise those who voice some of the rather more blunt opinions.

I think if you polled the people on these forums you'd find that a good number have one or more parents who came from a poor background. And you'll find that a good proportion of their friends, neighbours, colleagues are from less well off sections of our communities.
 
I think a lot of people feel the same way as Sp!ke way but are afraid to say it.

Like who?

I think what you'll find out is that most people want to find a way to improve the lives of those born with a plastic spoon in their mouth, because most people in this country would like to pull people out of the hole they're in and not pull the ladder up once they've escaped.
 
Any issue to do with children is bound to raise controversy.

While we (some of us, anyway) may wish the worst on those who are feckless and lazy, their children have the right to a fair chance in their future lives. In fact it is in our own interest that their children will grow up differently, if at all possible.

Cutting child benefits to poor families potentially hits the children harder than it hits the parent(s) - this is unfair on the children and may have undesirable consequences in later life for the responsible part of the population.

I think money is down the list in importance of how a child grows up. In my opinion a loving family with strong morals, both parents at home, real mentors and experiences, will beat, pouring money on anyone...... hands down... There are plenty of millionaires children, who are drug addicted feckless idiots... Who couldn't do a days work... it's having strong character and life experiences which build character...
 
I think if you polled the people on these forums you'd find that a good number have one or more parents who came from a poor background. And you'll find that a good proportion of their friends, neighbours, colleagues are from less well off sections of our communities.

Yourself and Spike are being very presumptuous tonight.

So do you think it's right to escape a 'poor background' and not try and help others out in the same situation as what you were in?

Sounds a bit of. 'I'm all right now, Jack'...
 
Don't be so quick to categorise those who voice some of the rather more blunt opinions.

I think if you polled the people on these forums you'd find that a good number have one or more parents who came from a poor background. And you'll find that a good proportion of their friends, neighbours, colleagues are from less well off sections of our communities.
Yes , they will not be the same ones that are quick to condemn others.Some of the BLUNT opinions are plain bigotry.
 
So do you think it's right to escape a 'poor background' and not try and help others out in the same situation as what you were in?

No.

I just don't think HMG should doll out unconditionally.

Money wasted down one avenue is opportunity that is lost down another.
 
I am guessing you are joking.

Given the option of being two hard working low to middle earners, unable to afford to rent or buy a home of their own or to be able to adequately provide for any children they would otherwise be thrilled to have...

Or

To play the system, sire as many children as you like, pretend not to live together, poor single parent gets local authority housing, benefits, free rent, no council tax, free dental, free school dinners, free school trips and other charitable donations whilst live in partner who officially still lives elsewhere brings home a moderate wage which allows them to live the life of Reilly courtesy of mr and mrs hardworking low to midle earner.
 
Yes , they will not be the same ones that are quick to condemn others.Some of the BLUNT opinions are plain bigotry.

And some people are inclined to be a bit quick to label opinions they don't agree with with the 'B' or 'R' words.
 
I think money is down the list in importance of how a child grows up. In my opinion a loving family with strong morals, both parents at home, real mentors and experiences, will beat, pouring money on anyone...... hands down... There are plenty of millionaires children, who are drug addicted feckless idiots... Who couldn't do a days work... it's having strong character and life experiences which build character...

That is a very valid point but if you examined it in more detail you would find that loving familes with strong morals both living at home, good mentors etc etc are not the ones being encouraged by the current system to have children.
 
Yourself and Spike are being very presumptuous tonight.

So do you think it's right to escape a 'poor background' and not try and help others out in the same situation as what you were in?

Sounds a bit of. 'I'm all right now, Jack'...

I think you have misread me entirely. Of course there needs to be a safety net and of course people sometimes need a handup.

This is not being debated.
 
That is a very valid point but if you examined it in more detail you would find that loving familes with strong morals both living at home, good mentors etc etc are not the ones being encouraged by the current system to have children.

Fully agree. Another interesting point is if I went down to a 4 day week, My family would qualify for child benefit.... I would thus pay less tax and receive more from the state???. How can that be right.... Although I have thought about it.!!
 
Like who?

I think what you'll find out is that most people want to find a way to improve the lives of those born with a plastic spoon in their mouth, because most people in this country would like to pull people out of the hole they're in and not pull the ladder up once they've escaped.

Why is it always up to someone else to do something?

If someone find themselves in a hole, whether from birth or from circumstances, it's primarily up to that individual to pull themselves up. It's that individual's responsibility, not mine, not the state's.
 

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