Letter: Why don’t they scrap child benefits?

Wednesday 25th August 2010, 8:42AM BST.

So the right wing reform think tank is suggesting state benefits should be scrapped, or at least for anyone showing any signs of income or savings.

Scrapping the winter fuel payments and free TV licences for elderly folk deemed to be middle class could also save the state more than £3,000 million a year.

It could then be replaced with fuel vouchers. This would make sure the money is spent properly.

As for free TV licence . . . that should have been scrapped years ago.

I see no mention of child benefit that is a universal payment and costs the taxpayer more than £11 billion every year.

Name and address supplied


  1. 1
    Andrew finch

    HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ,
    I assume the writer means the TV licence should be scrapped for all?,
    Coalition has the child benefit in its sights ,
    scrapping winter fuel payments for the middle classes the coalition has got this in its sights also.
    Where has this letter writer been living on a desert island?? it has been had over by the coalition and others for the last 6 weeks, or if he wrote this letter and posted it via royal mail did it get lost?.

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  2. 2
    spencer

    I assume you don’t have children..

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  3. 3
    Ken Adams

    As I am sure I have mentioned before, changing a universal state benefit to something like means tested benefit, without also at the same time giving a tax break to the “middle classes”, who will be the one to lose out, is nothing more than a backdoor increase in their taxes. Personal I do not see why those who have managed to save a little bit of money during their lives should now be the ones to suffer most.

    The TV licence should be scrapped and the BBC made to stand on its own feet rather than being allowed to continue to disseminate its own particular world views at the cost of the tax payers the vast majority of whom it does not represent.

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  4. 4
    Morris Green

    Seriously how do you think people will survive if this was taken away from them?
    I work taking around £1100 a month. I get £4 a week working tax credit and £50.25 child tax.
    £217 a month. I do not qualify for housing benefits…

    After paying my rent of £580 and council tax of £108 I have to fork out for petrol £110 + car insurance of £98. Then I got a food shop of £250 for the month. Gas water electric comes to around £70 a month. That just to live and get to work. Total of 1216.. That leaves me with 100 a month to treat my daughter to a decent quality life and to tax my car, pay for mot’s and to pay for clothes and any other bills including a quarterly TV licence.

    Obviously the person who came up with this ridiculous idea is either extremely wealthy or hasn’t any kids. How’s this for an idea why don’t u make a larger donation out of you wage packet? Some people just haven’t got a clue anymore.

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  5. 5
    edwin turner

    it might be a good idea to forcibly limit the no of children allowed –by compulsary steralisation and the cessation of ivf
    treatment if you are not meant to have kids–so be it i could go on

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    • Jennifer

      Quite extreme but I see your point….sort of.

      I have to say that I do begrudge paying towards anyone’s benefits, be it child benefit, tax credits etc. I am a single person living alone, no children and I work full time, why would I want to look out for anyone else when I struggle myself. I am on less than £14k per year and have to support myself, by myself. I wondered if I might be entitled to any help and was told no by the council and the CAB. While I have to pay a large chunk of my hard earned monthly income to the tax office, I would prefer single parents who work to receive the help or families who also work and are on a low income to receive help. What I disagree with is that all families, be it rich or poor receive these benefits. I think it should be looked at differently.

      Report abuse

  6. 6
    Colin.D.

    If you can’t afford to keep your children, don’t have them.

    Report abuse



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