5 Million British children face poverty because of welfare reforms

[skinz 10]

Tax credits are ridiculous. Why tax people and then give them some money back? Why not just not tax them in the first place?

 

Too simple that mate !

 

Why not just get the employers to pay a decent living wage so that taxpayer subsidised tax credits are not necessary?

 

 

Too simple that mate !

[Bubble3082 10]

I'm a single mother working 16 hours a week. I was desperate to work so in order to get my job I voluntarily worked for my jobseekers allowance for a month until the firm decided to employ me. Before I had my daughter I was employed full time from when I left school, but due to personal circumstances I had to leave my job. I didn't have a child for the benefits as I was working and could easily afford a child. But circumstances change. I do claim working tax credits now but why am I getting all the blame for this? My daughters dad has basically never worked a day in his life, does whatever he can to avoid getting a job, and pays a grand total of £5 a week towards our daughter. I'm working and bringing a child up, trying to make our lives better. Why doesn't anyone ever blame the absentee parents? Time and time again its me who gets called the scrounger, while he gets away scot free on every count - emotionally, morally and financially.

[RonJeremy 10]

Tax credits are ridiculous. Why tax people and then give them some money back? Why not just not tax them in the first place?

 

Because out of work benefits are so high, this creates a poverty trap. Tax credits are a way of mitigating this trap and supposedly encouraging people to work rather than sitting on their behinds being supported by those who earn more than 25000£. (I think that's the figure it may be even more). Of of course the more you earn the more you pay in tax to support everyone else.

 

---------- Post added 29-05-2014 at 01:56 ----------

 

I'm a single mother working 16 hours a week. I was desperate to work so in order to get my job I voluntarily worked for my jobseekers allowance for a month until the firm decided to employ me. Before I had my daughter I was employed full time from when I left school, but due to personal circumstances I had to leave my job. I didn't have a child for the benefits as I was working and could easily afford a child. But circumstances change. I do claim working tax credits now but why am I getting all the blame for this? My daughters dad has basically never worked a day in his life, does whatever he can to avoid getting a job, and pays a grand total of £5 a week towards our daughter. I'm working and bringing a child up, trying to make our lives better. Why doesn't anyone ever blame the absentee parents?

Time and time again its me who gets called the scrounger, while he gets away scot free on every count - emotionally, morally and financially.

 

I'm sorry to disappoint, but technically you are a scrounger as you say

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/scrounger

 

But you appear to be a well meaning well doing scrounger who is making you life better and trying to contribute something back. Your ex sounds like a real star. What a horrible example to his child.

I think right minded people do blame the absentee parent.

[ivanava 10]

Why not just get the employers to pay a decent living wage so that taxpayer subsidised tax credits are not necessary?

 

Why would they pay a living wage when they have a over supply of people willing to work for less than a living wage, and to keep us competitive globally we would be better of reducing our living costs.

 

---------- Post added 29-05-2014 at 06:53 ----------

 

I'm a single mother working 16 hours a week. I was desperate to work so in order to get my job I voluntarily worked for my jobseekers allowance for a month until the firm decided to employ me. Before I had my daughter I was employed full time from when I left school, but due to personal circumstances I had to leave my job. I didn't have a child for the benefits as I was working and could easily afford a child. But circumstances change. I do claim working tax credits now but why am I getting all the blame for this? My daughters dad has basically never worked a day in his life, does whatever he can to avoid getting a job, and pays a grand total of £5 a week towards our daughter. I'm working and bringing a child up, trying to make our lives better. Why doesn't anyone ever blame the absentee parents? Time and time again its me who gets called the scrounger, while he gets away scot free on every count - emotionally, morally and financially.

 

That's the crux of it, did you plan to have a child with someone you new wouldn't be able to contribute to his child upbringing, it take two people to reproduce and two people in most cases working together to support a child.

[Zamo 10]

I'm a single mother working 16 hours a week. I was desperate to work so in order to get my job I voluntarily worked for my jobseekers allowance for a month until the firm decided to employ me. Before I had my daughter I was employed full time from when I left school, but due to personal circumstances I had to leave my job. I didn't have a child for the benefits as I was working and could easily afford a child. But circumstances change. I do claim working tax credits now but why am I getting all the blame for this? My daughters dad has basically never worked a day in his life, does whatever he can to avoid getting a job, and pays a grand total of £5 a week towards our daughter. I'm working and bringing a child up, trying to make our lives better. Why doesn't anyone ever blame the absentee parents? Time and time again its me who gets called the scrounger, while he gets away scot free on every count - emotionally, morally and financially.

 

Your former partner obviously had a hand in it (well not a hand) but you could argue that having a child with someone who has never worked a day in their life was a poor choice. It is those sorts of poor choices that people complain about because they are bloody expensive for the taxpayer. Surely you can see why people moan? Even the fiver from the ex is from the taxpayer!

 

Granted though... your ex really is the scounger. I'd like to see workhouses for people like him.

[poppet2 13]

I'm a single mother working 16 hours a week. I was desperate to work so in order to get my job I voluntarily worked for my jobseekers allowance for a month until the firm decided to employ me. Before I had my daughter I was employed full time from when I left school, but due to personal circumstances I had to leave my job. I didn't have a child for the benefits as I was working and could easily afford a child. But circumstances change. I do claim working tax credits now but why am I getting all the blame for this? My daughters dad has basically never worked a day in his life, does whatever he can to avoid getting a job, and pays a grand total of £5 a week towards our daughter. I'm working and bringing a child up, trying to make our lives better. Why doesn't anyone ever blame the absentee parents? Time and time again its me who gets called the scrounger, while he gets away scot free on every count - emotionally, morally and financially.

 

IDS will be clamping down on the long term unemployed later this year. If you've been out of work for more than two years, you will be forced to do any work or lose your benefit. That's Labour's plan as well.

So whoever wins the election next year, men like your partner who are long-term unemployed, will be forced to work for their dole.

[tzijlstra 11]

I'm a single mother working 16 hours a week. I was desperate to work so in order to get my job I voluntarily worked for my jobseekers allowance for a month until the firm decided to employ me. Before I had my daughter I was employed full time from when I left school, but due to personal circumstances I had to leave my job. I didn't have a child for the benefits as I was working and could easily afford a child. But circumstances change. I do claim working tax credits now but why am I getting all the blame for this? My daughters dad has basically never worked a day in his life, does whatever he can to avoid getting a job, and pays a grand total of £5 a week towards our daughter. I'm working and bringing a child up, trying to make our lives better. Why doesn't anyone ever blame the absentee parents? Time and time again its me who gets called the scrounger, while he gets away scot free on every count - emotionally, morally and financially.

 

He doesn't, he is far worse than you are. Good on you for working and trying to create a better life for yourself. If I understand well you left education early, presumably you now regret that choice - there are means for you to gain qualifications and get further on in life. Although I am a man and don't have children, I was in a similar position early in life and now I am about to finish my PhD.

 

Keep on fighting, you will get to the light at the end of the tunnel.

[ivanava 10]

IDS will be clamping down on the long term unemployed later this year. If you've been out of work for more than two years, you will be forced to do any work or lose your benefit. That's Labour's plan as well.

So whoever wins the election next year, men like your partner who are long-term unemployed, will be forced to work for their dole.

 

Excellent news.

[kidneystone 23]

Same thing ............... working tax credit is still the Taxpayer picking up the tab for other peoples sprogs.

 

As far as know you can claim working tax credit even if you don't have any children. Its nothing to with "other peoples sprogs" as you so delicately put it.

[Mecky 10]

Why would anyone want to stop me,I know how to get on in life without a politician or a party to hold my hand or stand up for me in the big wide world.I work around them,not with them.

 

Because no matter what you do in life there will always be someone trying to stop you. That's the way it is

[RichSiddall 10]

As far as know you can claim working tax credit even if you don't have any children. Its nothing to with "other peoples sprogs" as you so delicately put it.

 

Indeed. I was eligible for working tax credits when I did agency work. I never claimed them though even though it amounted to about £500 for the remainder of the tax year

[El Cid 220]

So whoever wins the election next year, men like your partner who are long-term unemployed, will be forced to work for their dole.

 

I would assume that they will not be forced to work, but given the option of getting zero benefits and not working.