Cyclone Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 THey should stay in line with the cost of living! There are many other benefits that could be tweeked instead. Like people earning over £xxx shouldn't receieve tax benifits. they don't. But if you meant child tax credits then the cost of means testing it would be more than any possible savings, hence why it isn't currently means tested. The whole tax credit system should be scrapped as a pointless waste of money though and replaced with modifications to peoples PAYE codes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discodown Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 they don't. But if you meant child tax credits then the cost of means testing it would be more than any possible savings, hence why it isn't currently means tested. The whole tax credit system should be scrapped as a pointless waste of money though and replaced with modifications to peoples PAYE codes. Child tax credits are means tested. Child Benefit isn't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espadrille Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 You seem to know the figures, why not tell us ? DLA by the way is paid irrespective of whether the claimant is working or not. There will be people claiming DLA who are working and paying tax. But anyhow the govt. are planning to increase the numbers of unemployed by a significant amount over the next couple of years so your estimate of a third of people on benefits making a difference to the tax take will need revising. http://www.financemarkets.co.uk/2010/06/10/cipd-warns-of-high-unemployment-amid-government-spending-cuts/ People on JSA are allowed to do voluntary work up to a maximum of 16 hours a week. The may also receive certain allowable expenses such as the cost of travel and a 'lunch' allowance of up to £20 per week. Not always the case. If someone is on DLA and then gets work and the adjudicator decides that working means that the disability that the person has no longer warrants getting the support, ie money then they will review and stop the benefit. This happened to my son even though he has multiple disabilities. By the way, I dont have the up to date figures though I searched the net to find them. I hoped that someone may have the up to date figures but it seems not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
convert Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 they don't. But if you meant child tax credits then the cost of means testing it would be more than any possible savings, hence why it isn't currently means tested. The whole tax credit system should be scrapped as a pointless waste of money though and replaced with modifications to peoples PAYE codes. I agree. In my former life as an accountant we introduced a system where benefits in kind were added as a notional value to an employees salary. Tax was deducted as PAYE, with no need for tax codes to be changed. P11ds were still issued to employees along with a master list to the tax office. Saved a lot of processing both at my company and the revenue. There is no need to collect tax from people with one hand only to give it back with the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Child tax credits are means tested. Child Benefit isn't Fair enough. I only looked it up the other day. It's so complicated it's a wonder anyone can remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espadrille Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Child tax credits are means tested. Child Benefit isn't But this whole system of paying child benefits out to everyone and anyone who may not necessarily need them can just be a waste of Government money. The idea of a benefits system is that it caters for the very needy in our society, those who are ill, disabled or unable to work due to falling on hard times like redundancy. Working tax credits is yet another beurocratic nightmare. Filling more forms out that you need a degree in form filling to understand and then having to get in touch with the tax office every time you have a change of circumstances.Just getting through on the phone is an achievement in itself. We waste so much time in this Country doing meaningless things when if the system was there to help the people who it really should help and was made simple then that on its own would save so much time and money. When someone has to go to the Citizens advice bureau to get help and advice on how to fill in a form to claim benefits, doesnt that tell you something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espadrille Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Fair enough. I only looked it up the other day. It's so complicated it's a wonder anyone can remember. Se my post above.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discodown Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 But this whole system of paying child benefits out to everyone and anyone who may not necessarily need them can just be a waste of Government money. The idea of a benefits system is that it caters for the very needy in our society, those who are ill, disabled or unable to work due to falling on hard times like redundancy. Working tax credits is yet another beurocratic nightmare. Filling more forms out that you need a degree in form filling to understand and then having to get in touch with the tax office every time you have a change of circumstances.Just getting through on the phone is an achievement in itself. We waste so much time in this Country doing meaningless things when if the system was there to help the people who it really should help and was made simple then that on its own would save so much time and money. When someone has to go to the Citizens advice bureau to get help and advice on how to fill in a form to claim benefits, doesnt that tell you something? You're not wrong. But child benefit is given out automatically when you register the birth of a child. If you want to means test it you now have another form to fill in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espadrille Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 You're not wrong. But child benefit is given out automatically when you register the birth of a child. If you want to means test it you now have another form to fill in. Why do we actually pay any benefit out to someone who has a child? My Mum is 85 and she said that she never had any child benefit for me and my brother. My Mum and Dad had to earn enough to keep us themselves. I accept that there are many now who rely on these benefits but what would actually happen if they were stopped and were not replaced by something else. Just playing devils advocate here and just interested in the responses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discodown Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 Why do we actually pay any benefit out to someone who has a child? My Mum is 85 and she said that she never had any child benefit for me and my brother. My Mum and Dad had to earn enough to keep us themselves. I accept that there are many now who rely on these benefits but what would actually happen if they were stopped and were not replaced by something else. Just playing devils advocate here and just interested in the responses Good question. Poverty would be my answer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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