crappy government

[coccyx]

Very shallow to only care about things that affect you directly. My taxes go towards things /people that don't affect me, maybe i should ask for a refund

 

[AppleBlossom]

Yep, me. If something doesn't directly affect me, i don't care about it.

 

[aob1013]

It's not as black and white as if you can't afford a baby don't have one, plenty of young girls get raped and get pregnant, accidents happen etc. People really need to start seeing the bigger picture.

 

[ellaandcallum]

When I had my daughter 9 years ago, I had no sure start maternity grant nor child trust fund, I did perfectly well without it, I dont know how but I did, you just manage. When I had my son 7 years go I was eligable for the the SSG and the CTF, which really helped but I am not saddened at the fact the CTF has been scrapped. My son got his £250 which I invested into an account that I add to each month, my daughter has a similar policy, its like an endownment, so when they are 18 or 21 they will get a lump sum of cash, so whether or not I got the CTF I still would of invested in a savings plan for them. The £250-£500 the government have given is gonna be worth bugger all in 11 years anyway and dont get what they were trying to achieve by introducing this, it is a waste of money and is better spent elsewhere. When I had my two children I never had the HIP grant and managed fine. This time round as I know I am not having anymore kids I have been sensible, I have been grabbing bargains from ebay, a friend gave me a £280 cotbed, bags of clothes, moses baskets etc etc, people do and will manage if the situation every arose that they were to scrap any money given to pregnant women.

 

[Serene123]

What does the child trust fund have to do with teenage pregnancy or rape?!?!

 

[bubbles]

am I being dumb here or are people actually saying that because you agree the CTF should be scrapped it is double standards to claim the HIP grant?

I think scrapping the CTF is a good idea and WILL be claiming the HIP grant because the help is nice. I will be spending it on things for my baby BUT I have to say if I was working I wouldn't bother because we wouldn't really need the help

 

[rubixcyoob.]

I don't see the big deal about the CTF being scrapped. The max the government will have given you would be either £500 or £1000 in 18 years time. Your child is not going to miss something they never had.
It's up to you to save and provide for your child's future not the government. Why should they give you an incentive to save? Shouldn't you have that already?
A pound a week for 18 years ends up being £936 (just under the max amount you would recieve) surely that's do-able?

No one can say their child would 'rely' on that money - they don't recieve it for 18 years anyways. If they can go 18 years without, surely they can go completely without?

All this saving for uni and stuff is bollocks too. Granted, Scottish students in a Scottish uni pay no tuition fees for their first undergrad course, but in other unis over the UK the tutition is only around £3/4 000 a year. Countries like America (who don't have CTFs anyways) have to pay around £20/30 000 a year for tuition and they manage it, why can't we?

The CTF was no more than a recent luxury. No one found it a neccessity. People got buy, had homes, cars etc. and went to uni without it. Not just a handful of people - millions of people. We can get by without it again. I would rather my child lived in a country with a stable economy than a country down the shitter with an extra £500 in his pocket. Any party would have cut luxury spending first in order to stablise the economy and keep the neccessary services running - not just the Torys.

And no, I'm not some middle aged woman, living in a fancy house with money coming out every orifice in my body. I am going to be a single parent (seeing as me and OH aren't married) who is also a university student, no stable job only casual work, with a loan to pay off, 6 more years of uni left and living at home. Yet I can still see myself getting by without, how come others can't?

 

[PreggyEggy]

What does the child trust fund have to do with teenage pregnancy or rape?!?!

I think it has more to do with the fact that there are many people in this thread with the attitude that if you got pregnant accidentally, you should have to struggle.

 

[aob1013]

I'll expand on what affects me directly: when I was on benefits I made sure I was using them correctly and spending them correctly. When I said about not affecting me directly, I meant that if people decide to use the benefits incorrectly, that's not my problem, and I can't control it - so I won't worry about it iykwim.

I think we should all stop caring what people do with their lives/money - some people abuse it, but there isn't much we can do. Just concerntrate on your life and if you receive benefits, using them correctly.

 

[Mum22GTTC]

I asked in a earlier post but funny enough noone answered so i'll try again lol

I would LOVE to know what areas people deem as 'ok' to have cuts in and save as much as cutting the CTF would save? .... guess this is aimed at those so dead against the CTF being stopped,

Like I said, why not scrap spending on trident? Why spend millions on replacing submarines, while axing university placements? Where is the justice in that? I'm not against the CTF being stopped, but I do think they could have made better cuts.

To the people who feel that people managed without the HIP and SSGs years ago, the point is, we live in a country where people who are struggling to pay for baby things shouldn't have to struggle. No child should have to go without.

Perhaps the grants should be means tested, and a system set up to make sure they are spent on the right things, but I do not think they should be scrapped because some people really do need them. I don't care if people years ago managed to get by somehow, we live in a completely different economic climate now. We don't live in a country who will let a child suffer, just because their mother was too young and can't support them and "should have used to use a condom with the pill" (who says everybody can use the pill, huh??), and to me, that's something to be proud of. Don't like it, move out of the country maybe?

I'd be interested in knowing how many of you that are against the HIP and SSG will claim for it anyway.

I'm sorry you have a problem with supporting young mothers. Hope you like all those shiny new submarines they're going to buy instead!

Oh, and I noticed you didn't answer my question. Are you claiming the HIP and SSG? Because I believe if you believe it's wrong to hand those out, then you shouldn't be claiming for them.

I have a problem with your comments re: contraception. A) We'd moved on from that topic B) There are far more methods of contraception than just the pill - that for the record I cannot take the pill myself!

I have a problem with supporting young mothers - yes I do. If you cannot afford children, then don't have them. (As I described previously - my thoughts on this do not include families that have an unexpected change of circumstances).

No I won't be applying for the SSG becuase I wouldn't be entitled to it.
Yes I will be applying for the HIP grant, as I have worked since the age of 16 as well as put myself through college & university - I do not have rich parents. They struggled to bring up four children without the help of the state & I had to pay my own university fees.

I have paid my taxes & if I am entitled to that money then I would be a fool to turn it down, I'm not rolling in money - that £190 will be useful. Doesn't mean I agree with it. It's a complete waste and if it didn't exist I wouldn't be on here moaning about how hard done by I am.

Why should I turn it down? When the devious little tart that ruined by brother's life gets a flat and £100's every month for sitting on her backside (and yes he should have put a condom on the end of it!!) with the rest of her family - that also sit on their backside's all day!

Sorry, but when I see this first hand, you will never, ever be able to persuade me into thinking that giving out money for getting pregnant is a good thing!

I'm sorry, but I think you have extreme double standards. People who desperately need the HIP grant shouldn't get it, but it would be useful to you, and you paid your taxes, and blah blah blah so you should claim it? Why not forgo claiming it and save the government a bit of money, hey? I'm definitely against people like you claiming it if in the same breath you condemn people that need it.

So you've seen someone who sits on their ass while claiming, that doesn't mean that people who really really NEED it shouldn't get it. It should be means tested, and there should be strict guidelines on what it's spent on, but that doesn't mean that you should be out in the cold if you suddenly find yourself in the position of expecting a child with no money. I'm truly appalled that you have the gall to claim it at all when you would expect someone in that position to go without.

Never for one second said that people who NEED help shouldn't get it. As I said people who have a change of circumstances do need help and should get help. I do not condem anyone that NEEDS help. Our difference of opinion comes from what we see as the people that genuinely need help. Which we will have to agree to disagree on.

You can say me claiming the HIP is double standards, I say why should I cut off my nose to spite my face. I have 2 young children & a baby on the way, that I work hard to pay for, but I am in no position to turn down money. If it's there to be claimed then everyone should claim it, working, single, young or whatever.

But it really shouldn't be there to be claimed by anyone.

I agree it should be means tested and there should be strict guidlines as to what it's spent on, I agree 110%.

 

[buttonnose82]

if so many people didn't abuse the HIP grant I might not have such a problem with it, it is there to fund healthy pregnancy and buying things for baby to promote health, not funding trips to london/concert tickets/cricket tickets etc

Either it needs to be food vouchers or changed to a loan for those that really need it, that has to be paid back maybe £2 a week out of their child benefit once baby is here, therefore everything is in place for when baby arrives but you take over all responsibility for your own child

 

[Serene123]

I got pregnant by accident, and I WAS a single mum and the CTF had absolutely bugger all affect on me at all

I didn't get a hip grant, it didn't exist. I don't understand it at all. Why should we pay women to buy healthy food when they could just stop buying crap and replace it with healthy food? Or give them healthy food vouchers?

 

[PreggyEggy]

am I being dumb here or are people actually saying that because you agree the CTF should be scrapped it is double standards to claim the HIP grant?

I think scrapping the CTF is a good idea and WILL be claiming the HIP grant because the help is nice. I will be spending it on things for my baby BUT I have to say if I was working I wouldn't bother because we wouldn't really need the help

No, not at all. I actually do think the CTF should be scrapped, it is a bit of a waste really.

But I believe that if you think that the HIP grant and SS grant should be scrapped and not given to the people who really need it (which many people in this thread appear to believe), then you shouldn't be claiming it at all. It is a double standard. I'm glad you wouldn't claim if you where working - at least you can back up your belief by acting on it, unlike some people.

(Just as a note - I have to leave the house after this post, but I'll be replying later.)

 

[AppleBlossom]

I got pregnant by accident, and I WAS a single mum and the CTF had absolutely bugger all affect on me at all

Same, except I still am a single mum...

 

[xemmax]

I think we should all stop caring what people do with their lives/money - some people abuse it, but there isn't much we can do. Just concerntrate on your life and if you receive benefits, using them correctly.

as a taxpayer, shouldn't you have the right to express your opinion on where your taxes are going though?

 

[Missy86]

I think that the SSMG should be in vouchers so you can only use it for baby stuff

 

[katie-lou]

as much as it pains me to say this! I think we should respect the government, they are doing a very difficult job in very difficult times, They have to look at the 'bigger' picture which many of us fail to do, we refuse to look past the end of our noses, but we have to, if we care for our children we can't look at the here and now, we have to look to their future!

also much respect to them, they all took a pay cut the day they came into power, they are cutting back on their own expenditures as well (expenses/first class travel tickets etc) They are leading by example which in my opinion is what we need from a government

But isn't this the government (well some members at least) that saw nothing wrong in claiming for ridiculous things in expenses not so long ago! Yes they should bloody well cut back on them, i wish someone paid for my husband to watch porn in a hotel room for me (might stop him snoring in my ear at night so i can get some sleep) and i know it was members of all parties so some of them will have a hand in making these decisions

Appologies if i am wrong i'm not all up on my political info mainly because i believe they do things in a particular way to confuse us! but in my opinion double standards should accompany the word government in the dictionary!

 

[aob1013]

I pay tax, but as I have been on both sides of the fence I know how hard some people do struggle. I won't be getting the £500, but some people really do have absolutely nothing. X

 

[buttonnose82]

like i said before maybe people should use the cutting of the CTF as a reason to do something that will improve your childs future yourself, after all they don't get it for 18 years so you have 18 years to come up with a way to contribute towards your child's future yourself instead of expect others to do it for you.

£500 after 18 years is worth about £1300 if nothing else is paid in, now even if you don't get a job until they are say 10, that would give you 8 years to still save that much up

bigger picture girls

 

[buttonnose82]

as much as it pains me to say this! I think we should respect the government, they are doing a very difficult job in very difficult times, They have to look at the 'bigger' picture which many of us fail to do, we refuse to look past the end of our noses, but we have to, if we care for our children we can't look at the here and now, we have to look to their future!

also much respect to them, they all took a pay cut the day they came into power, they are cutting back on their own expenditures as well (expenses/first class travel tickets etc) They are leading by example which in my opinion is what we need from a government

But isn't this the government (well some members at least) that saw nothing wrong in claiming for ridiculous things in expenses not so long ago! Yes they should bloody well cut back on them, i wish someone paid for my husband to watch porn in a hotel room for me (might stop him snoring in my ear at night so i can get some sleep) and i know it was members of all parties so some of them will have a hand in making these decisions

Appologies if i am wrong i'm not all up on my political info mainly because i believe they do things in a particular way to confuse us! but in my opinion double standards should accompany the word government in the dictionary!

they claimed them yes and it was wrong, but it was because the guidelines were wrong, they have done exactly what many of the girls on here have said 'it's there so i'll take it even if i don't need it' The guidelines have now been changed