Child Benefit was introduced as money for the primary carer, usually the mother
as they were often in a position where they weren't earning money and may well have been in a relationship where all finance was controlled by their partner. Child Benefit was a way of addressing that - as a universal benefit it could well be of use across the board for people in need of cash (possibly to escape a relationship in which they were financially dependent).

Agreed, I won't need Child Benefit once I'm back at work, but right now it comes in very useful.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 8:53, 1 reply, 15 years ago)

+ for buying gin

( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 8:56, Reply)

You see, that's the difference
I understand some help to mothers or fathers, while their babies are too young, but then, the parents should go back to work. Right, there is a whole world out there with different cases, and single parents, and that; but child benefit shouldn't be used as a salary, as a reason to stop working. Having kids and bringing them up, is not a job that the goverment should be paying.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 2 Nov 2010, 8:59, Reply)

Child benefit is £20.30 a week
so not really a salary...
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:00, Reply)

But add it to housing benefit and income support or unemployment benefit (plus not having to pay council tax) and you're looking at a weekly amount that some people live very comfortably on.

(lkjshaglkasjdhglkhjz lkcvl; g;aodh;owih, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:02, Reply)

Oh, I see
So, how come there is people saying they get around £42,000/year for having 5 kids, and that they prefer to have more kids rather than going back to work? Do they get more money for something else?
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:02, Reply)

they will also be getting housing benefit
and things like income support. They would have to go for every benefit they possibly could to get that amount.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:04, Reply)

And on top of that
not paying taxes. It's a good bussiness, it is.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:12, Reply)

When my parents kicked us out, I had the child benefit transferered to me for my little sister.
I used to give her the money, and she went down the pub with it. She was 15 at the time.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:02, Reply)

Is your surname 'Twist', by any chance?

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:04, Reply)

No, thank fuck, I have a proper name,
Not a dickensian one.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:14, Reply)

Ey. Richard Ensian is my real name!

(Cave Duck, Tue 2 Nov 2010, 9:26, Reply)