Cameron hint over child benefit cuts for better-off

[DimPrawn]

Yeah it's amazing how these benefits can stretch to false nails, dyed hair and spray tans and yet they still plead poverty

Kids all eat Smart Price / Iceland food but the parents can afford Sky sports+movies, cans of Stella, Ciggies, Xbox 360/Playstation, ipods/ipads and Nike clothes etc.

Stop all the benefits now and issue food stamps only.

Money saved, give tax breaks to employers and low paid employees.

[SimonMac]

The question is how much would it cost to means test these benefits, any savings would be lost be the bureaucracy that comes with it.

[The Spartan]

Better still why not take away their right to vote and then the government wouldn't be so concerned with keeping them onside. Labour stayed in power so long as they appealed to the majority of these people and promised to improve benefits etc and therefore won their votes. It's still the case in the welsh valleys whereas who ever promises them better benefits etc then they'll vote for them.

[doodab]

Why should those without children be forced to subsidise those who do.

It's not subsidising those who want children so much as subsidising the children themselves. So your argument only holds water as long as you don't expect any sort of services paid for by their taxes in the future. Like healthcare, roads, bins or any of that stuff that is paid for by taxes of people who work.

[doodab]

Yeah it's amazing how these benefits can stretch to false nails, dyed hair and spray tans and yet they still plead poverty

I think the point he was making is that the denizens of Richmond don't need child benefit because they are loaded.

[BrilloPad]

Yeah it's amazing how these benefits can stretch to false nails, dyed hair and spray tans and yet they still plead poverty

And worse still somtimes fail to feed their children properly.

[gingerjedi]

...if you want to sign-on then you give something back.

Doesn't have to working for free in poundland which is just nonsense, but could be charity work, cleaning parks etc.

Choose to do fk all - get fk all*


*medical acceptions etc apply

So what happens to people who are paid (most probably NMW) to clean parks? You're effectively putting people out of work.

IMO you need to make work attractive and not a comparable alternative, a 20k personal tax allowance would take millions out of a 'give with one hand and take with another' situation.

[The Spartan]

I think the point he was making is that the denizens of Richmond don't need child benefit because they are loaded.

Though that maybe true it is often those on benefits that can afford those luxuries

[Bacchus]

I think the point he was making is that the denizens of Richmond don't need child benefit because they are loaded.

Absolutely (although there is also truth in what The Spartan says)

It is crazy to give taxpayer's money to people just because they have children; child benefit is a hangover from WW2 but no government has had the cahoonies to get rid of it because it would be politically unpopular

[Notascooby]

So what happens to people who are paid (most probably NMW) to clean parks? You're effectively putting people out of work.

IMO you need to make work attractive and not a comparable alternative, a 20k personal tax allowance would take millions out of a 'give with one hand and take with another' situation.

Then you allow those people not to waste time picking litter from verges and bushes but actually improve the park. Therefore allowing them to add value not just clean-up other people's tulip.

I agree that it shouldn't be the case where you're better off on benefits than working and the likes of housing benefit are real sticking points here as well as the lack of decent childcare.

The issue is that these things can't be tackled in isolation and require are comprehensive change in the way we do things.

Even if you made people sit in a room from 9am until 12pm would be better than letting people treat this as leisure time. People would be more willing to look for an alternative if they're forced to do something rather than nothing.