proposed cut of 20% to child benefit?

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  • #5667
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    What do others think of this proposed cut for the budget..only proposed not definate or anything.

    I think its awful. I have four children and though we get a substantial child benefit it is so needed. Keeping a family of six is no easy task. We also have a private mortgage so the child benefit is a big help to keeping a roof over our heads. My other half is one of the many in this country to be out of work for the first time in his life, wanting to work but jobs are so thin on the ground. So cutting child benefit to us right now would be a major blow.

    I feel it could be done differently not just a straight across the board cut. I don’t begrudge high earners child benefit as they also have childcare overheads to think of just like anyone else. But surely there could be some big cut off limit where it is reduced a bit. Maybe say the multi millonaires who still are entitled to child benefit and save it all for their children. I wish I was able to do that but its a necessary part of our income that is spent every month to make ends meet and give our children a half decent life now.

    #79378
    yummymummy
    Member

    While i do not agree with the cuts in CB, I do feel that something needs to be done!

    Was watching midday yeat and they were discussing this and Claudine Keane was on…wife of Robbie Keane..Ireland player and she said she doesnt even claim the CB cos she doesnt need it. In one way fair play to her but in another why shouldnt she as she has just a right as anoyone else to claim it. But it got me thinking that maybe some of these fatcats dont actually claim it at all. WOuldnt it be nice to actually know if they do or dont though 🙂

    I dont rely on my CB, yes it does pay for bills when they come in but I have never relied on it. I dont think a 20% cut is that much, cos lets be honestwhen my ds was born in 2001 i didnt get €166 pm let alone €133pm which is what it’ll be after if these cuts go ahead. I think a cut across the board is the only way to go as means testing will cost too much in admin and of course there will be certain loopholes and dodgy accountants out there making sure people still get the full rate etc. they cant tax it as its money for the children…….what 1 wwek old- 16year has any legal right to pay tax on their money and if its not the kids then who…..the mother???? thats not right. What if she SAHM….whose income is taken into account her own??which would be none or her husbands???

    One way they could start is cutting the money from the 3rd and subsequent child. Ehave a flat rate for every single child, what does it matter if someone has one child or ten??????

    anyway thats just my take on it anyway.

    #79417
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    have to say i think 20% is an awful lot especially when I have four children. I would love to say its the children money, to be spent on them completly, but it doesnt work that way and the mortgage and bills have to be paid before the treats. They don’t go without, maybe don’t have everything I would like to be able to do for them. But child benefit does definatley mean a roof over their heads, bills paid and maybe an odd treat. I think for many people they count the days to child benefit day as it makes all the difference.

    #79419
    Jedt
    Keymaster

    What worries me, aside from the 20% cut which is horrendously large is the threat to cut the extra benefit that 3rd and subsequent children get.

    It bothers me that high up people in the HSE are still getting bonuses from our government of 70,000euro plus.

    It bothers me that FAS bosses are getting bonuses of over 1 million.

    It bothers me that a TD took a limo from the port in Wales to London and cost the tax payer thousands of euros for the privelege.

    It bothers me that the Ceann Comhairle ‘resigned’ for disgraceful overspending and it getting away with it scot free. He keeps his lovely big TD salary and will get a huge pension when he retires.

    I actually appreciate that some people are so well off they don’t claim it but maybe they should claim it and give it to charity or something.

    It is the right of every child to get it and it should not be cut at all – especially not now when so many people are out of work.

    Every week since my son started back at school he has come home with at least one note looking for money. We pay for him to wait an hour after class for the school bus home. We pay for activities during that hour. We pay for Religion classes so he can make his first communion. We pay for books, uniforms, shoes and every Friday we are asked for any spare change we have and also, we have been asked to donate over 200 euro per family to help with running costs at the school.

    I don’t blame the school, I blame the governemt. When they had loads of money they wasted so much of it and now there is a pinch, they are taking from the very people they should be protecting – our children.

    I think its awful. I hope loads of people sign the petition on here and I hope they recognise it. I am still in shock that Fianna Fail got voted back in – although I reckon they’re luck will run out next election.

    #79422
    hjs
    Member

    CB can’t be means tested as has been said – far too administratively expensive, anyone know the stats on nos of parents earning over 100k and claiming cb for ex 2 pick a random "high" figure? Don’t imagine in this climate it’s gonna be a massively significant proportion of people and the higher u put the eranings cut off, the fewer people will be affected by the removal of CB from them and then pretty quickly it becomes a fund-raising exercise of drop-in-the-ocean proportions.
    A`20% cut in the rates, although unthinkable politically, to my mind obviously has some attraction when pitted against the unpalatable total removal from some children or means testing. And don’t get me wrong, I’ll notice it, we’re already noticing it in my house with dh paying increased taxes, a 2% income levvy and god knows what other by-the-back-door stealth taxes. But have realised to count blesings and b thankful he has a job at all.
    Will have to be resourceful mother yet again if this occurs. Am already doing stuff never thought capable of to bring in a few quid – child minding, tuition and writing, as well as economising on where and what food bought and the recipes I’m baking. Am guessing we women won’t like it, but may just have to lump it again 4 the 4seeable, as we are the more respourceful gender…

    #79438
    Yvonne
    Member

    I would definitely prefer for the CB to be cut across the board rather than means tested…. obviously I would prefer no cut at all, but it is something they need to do…
    I do think, however, that they should stop it leaving the country for a start… and that should be the first thing they should do….

    #79443
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Jedt i agree with you completely. I look on myself and my DH as fortunate at the moment because we are both still working and we are all healthy. I cant imagine how we would cope if one or both of us would lose our jobs. I think means testing is wrong, it will hit all of the middle income earnings as per usual. I dont think there is any right way. I always remember the TD’s last year, saying that the Childrens allowance was linking to inflation. Well inflation has fallen 6.5% this year, think i could live with that decrease.
    Not sure about anyone else but my mortgage is fixed and has been for the last number of years so i havent seen any change in my monthly outgoings, other than i seem to be paying more. Like Jedt paying for buses/relegion classes and all the rest and will pay for creche during school holidays. I know we all need to do something to get the country back on its feet, but reducing the average persons monthly income isnt it

    #79445
    Jedt
    Keymaster

    I heard this morning on the news that the HSE top dog is paid TWICE as much as his UK counterpart. The UK population is over 15 times ours but the guy running our little health system gets paid twice as much. His salary is over 460,000 euro and look at the flipping state of the HSE.

    Last week my very ill father in law spent2 nights in a chair in A&E. Not even a trolley – a chair!! He could not breathe due to fluid on his lungs but there were no beds so it was tough luck, he had to sit there in complete discomfort, minus his dignity, until a trolley became free.

    And the guy in charge is being paid almost half a million yearly?? Oh and the poor love is getting a bonus of 70,000 for all the cuts he’s made this year.

    I’m sorry but that does not sit well with me at all….

    So he gets rich for doing a completely rubbish job, for endangering the sick people in our hospitals by exposing them to MRSA and having them sleep on chairs – but the ordinary person who now relies on their CA because of the downturn in the economy, is getting hit.

    I agree there needs to be cuts but how can the govt justify cutting the CA when they are still being so completely reckless with funds as per the crazy salaries and bonuses still being paid out?

    It is not right at all but what can we do? I’ve marched and signed petitions and spoken with TD’s so hopefully they will feel the pressure and go easy on the CA.

    We’ll find out on 9th Dec….

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