Should Child Benefit be capped at 2 children?

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I'd probably say no. A child benefit cap might deter some people from having children, but you'll inevitably end up with large families that just don't have enough money and it's the children that will suffer. It's hardly their fault their parents can't/won't provide for them. It's especially not fair for people who can provide for their children, but then lose their jobs and are in a difficult position financially. They should be able to receive child benefit.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 21

Alfissti

Original post by Quady

Hardly financial information, you've already told us you're a taxpayer so you earn more than £9,400.

I have 25.4, what does that precious financial information tell you? :P

How on earth do you manage to save 25.4 months of salary?? How many % of your salary you put aside for savings each month?

Reply 22

Ripper-Roo

Original post by Kazbian

I'd probably say no. A child benefit cap might deter some people from having children, but you'll inevitably end up with large families that just don't have enough money and it's the children that will suffer. It's hardly their fault they're parents can't/won't provide for them. It's especially not fair for people who can provide for their children, but then lose their jobs and are in a difficult position financially. They should be able to receive child benefit.

This

Reply 23

Quady

Original post by Alfissti

How on earth do you manage to save 25.4 months of salary?? How many % of your salary you put aside for savings each month?

At the minute roughly around a quarter. Its more 'not spending it' than 'saving it'.

I was taking the 'months salary' as after tax, so it'd be equivalent whether I was drawing my income from savings or from my wage if you see what I mean. Pre-tax it'd be more like 17 months.

Reply 24

Alfissti

Original post by redferry

I dont think it should be because hard working people who fall on tough times and have more than two kids might really need that money.
We shouldn't be discouraging people from having children because otherwise we will end up with an ageing population.

But having too many children will make UK it to be an overcrowded island some day in the near future.

Reply 25

Bobbi!

I think yes, UNLESS the second and third child are twins, or some kind of similar situation. As in benefits only awarded to the produce of the first 2 pregnancies, and the second pregnancy only if they only had one child previously.

Although, how will they deal with the wide variety of families?? for example, Mum has a child, dad has a child, and then they have one together??

Reply 26

Le Nombre

Yes, but there are complex questions to be answered in the process.

What about multiple births? Do we make people pay for the third when they already have one child and are execting twins or pay for both? If you are expecting triplets do you have to pay for one or abort?

The death of a child? So if you have a chuld die at say 7 do you get another shot? Or can you 'carry over' the benefit to a third child, thus getting another 11 years of child benefit for a third child?

And, the rarest, but toghest, what is a child? Do you count a child such as Mary of 'Mary and Jodie' as a child for benefits purposes, even though she was totally dependent for her life on Jodie? If there is a cap at 2 does Mary count as a child for your 'allowance'? And if she does do you get child benefit for the duration of a pregnancy and lose a 'chance' for a miscarriage?

These all need to be answered before you can run such a system without causing a number of issues.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 27

Skovby

Cap it and means test and put more funding into affordable childcare so parents can afford to work whilst being assured that there are decent childcare options.

Reply 28

nimrodstower

Original post by PopaPork

the cap should only apply to those who have never worked

those who have should initial have no cap but with the funding level reducing over time

For people on Benefits, the Child allowance is deducted from their Benefits, the only people this will hurt, is working people.

Reply 29

andrew2209

Original post by Kazbian

This is the main problem with such a cap. You can't physically stop people from getting pregnant.

The only real (extreme) alternative if such a cap exists, is to tell people that they can't afford to raise a child, and inform them that having another child would be neglect. However, this probably wouldn't go down too well at all.

Reply 30

redferry

Original post by Alfissti

But having too many children will make UK it to be an overcrowded island some day in the near future.

True but we need people to have more than two to male up for the childless and people with only one child.

Reply 31

Monkey.Man

there shouldn't even be child benefits for having one child; if you can't provide for a child, don't have a child. if you could provide for a child once but then can't continue to do so, get the aid of your friends and family, or charity. if possible, get more than one job, or live in a smaller house/apartment.

*incoming dissenting opinions*

Reply 32

No Man

It should be capped at two and then taken away if said person has more than two (unless the second and third are twins).
But to make things fair it should be made clear to them when they apply.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 33

lilymoran

The whole point of child benefits is to support all children. No child should be destitute because their parents fall on bad times.

The reason it was originally brought in and paid to the mother, was to ensure that it would be used to benefit the child. (It was thought that it was more reliable than paying money to the father.)

No one wants to go back to the time when children turned up at school bare foot, with no winter clothes, suffering from malnutrition etc.

Although I knew about poverty before WW2 I was shocked to see a photo of my great uncle's class in Durham in the 1920s. Nearly half had no shoes and were wearing ragged clothes with that pinched look that comes from hunger.

The absolute priority is protecting children. We can penalise them because of the actual or perceived fecklessness or their parents but that is show much more immorality than ever their parents did.

Reply 34

Lord Frieza

There should be no cap.

This is not bloody China for people to dictate how many kids someone should be having.

The brainlessness here just makes me weep

Reply 35

DZJX

No because we have an aging population in the UK and need to have more kids.

Reply 36

edwinemanuelposse

Some times poor people can make nice looking children

Reply 37

Mr_Sinister

I am the youngest of 5 and my parents said they got less per child the more you have. Not that it really mattered, my dad earns well and my mum stayed at home.

Nice having lots of brothers and sisters, stops people from being weird like only child's.

Reply 38

Mackay

Original post by Fatty McFat

Should be capped at 1 child.

This.

Reply 39

jelly1000

I agree with a cap, most people who are sensible with money often can't have as many kids as they would possibly like because they can't afford any more.