http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10972219/Plans-to-restrict-child-benefit-could-appear-in-Tory-manifesto.html



So long as that is all new claimants I ahve no issues with this

I can't really see an issue with this at the 'four child' level tbh. Two seems to be too few, although the point probably is if you set it too high you end up saving hardly any money. I'd like to see some data on the distribution of family size in the UK, I expect the vast majority are three or less anyway - so it ends up as one of those policies they can announce that make it look like they're doing something when in fact the actual effect is approaching zero.

Jon

I'd stop it at two or three.

Two is the sensible cap but the difference it makes would potentially still be minimal.
Most people with 3 or more children seem to be either fairly well off (so no benefits anyway as you lose it if one of you earns £50k) or out of work/very low earners so it'd be paid as a different sort of benefit to avoid hardship.
The "average earning couple" seem to stop at 2 children and would feel the effects if it was capped lower than 2.

i think that a better way would be via tax deductions/allowances
example
1st child tax reduction from standard rate to 15%
2nd child tax reduction to 10%
3rd child tax reduction to 5%

any tax after standard rate is still payable with NI contributions

that way only working families get the family tax benefit
all others on benefits will be paid accordingly to then current rate of support ...

Total crap, frankly.

The idea of child benefit is that it is given directly to the parents to try to guarantee that, unlike my grandparents, each child can eat and go to school in a pair of shoes. Child benefit costs the square-root of cock-all compared to the rest of our public spending. One billion over the life of the next parliament? Is this where we've sunk to that normally clear-thinking people can reach the conclusion that this is sensible?

How's about this for an idea. Let's instead get the tax we're owed every year off just Vodafone. That's 6 billion over the life of the next parliament. If we did that every year with the multi-nationals that should pay and don't, we could buy universal optical internet, many new NHS hospitals, enough JCBs to construct a replica of Israel in Azerbijian and still have enough left over for everyone to have a lifetime's supply of sherbet dib-dabs.

But we won't, will we? Because companies buy parties and children don't vote.

Your stating two arguments
Firstly child benefit is an anachronism that imho should be got rid off. The idea behind the universal benefit is great, implimentation crappy as always with governments.
As for tax, unless you want to change the whole tax system of the UK, eu and the world. Companies will stick to paying the minimum the law says they have to.

That's the problem with the tax situation, companies are paying all the tax they have to. Of you think they should pay more, you have to close the loopholes that let them do that.

As to child benefit, my fiancé was surprised how little money parents in the UK get.

Germany pays 184 for the first 2 children, 190 for the fourth and 250 for each subsequent child, per month.

While I have seen that (and other figures up to and over £10 billion from various pressure groups I have never seen any similar figures from more independant sources.

In the end the Co will (like me) pay the tax it is leagally required to. I minimise my tax bill by paying into a pension and an ISA - if I could legally reduce it further I would

The problem is its very easy to say and very difficult to impose. In the end the consumer is king - if enough people really cared then they would not shop at Amazon, buy coffee from starbucks or use Vodaphone (and I hope you shun all of those companies) - BUT most people shop on price

Again, not true.

The reason I mentioned Vodafone is that they didn't pay the tax that they are legally required to because HMRC did a deal over dinner that allowed them to get away with it.

When I say restrict child benefit to two children, I mean all benefits. Housing etc too. People shouldn't have children to milk the system.