What is this 2 child cap benefit anyway? Who does it affect?

I would have loved to have had a third child. Sadly, financially I decided not to.

Luckily I did, as my first husband left me with a 5 and 8 year old. But, he did pay child maintenance as he was basically a decent man and Father. Just decided he was gay!!

I really do not know what the answer to this dilemma is but as already been said, the Father's need to be pursued to pay something towards the keep of their children.

I knew someone years ago who had 4 children, the husband left and never paid a penny, despite the Child Benefit Agency (I think that was what it was called) chasing him. Apparently, he just ripped up the forms! He was self employed which I think made it harder to prove his earnings?

Glad I didn’t disappoint winterwhite!

It is what used to be family allowance, usually the Mother claims it in all cases but no single earner in a household is allowed to earn over a certain amount, so it's not just related to universal credit.

I suppose the CSA was expensive to run and that's why changes were made. There should be an easier way to get fathers to pay responsibly

Urmstongran

Apologies. Re-read your post LucyAnna2. Possibly your three grandchildren ARE his only kids. Rubbish system isn’t it? He gets off ‘Scot-free’ it seems (like many others).

Yes, that’s the situation. The ex and the new partner don’t have children (yet) and have fancy cars, expensive holidays, etc

The absent fathers I know have/had MOTHERS who didn’t like the DIL and who blamed them for the relationship breakdown.The reasoning was if it was her fault,she didn’t treat him like the god his mother thinks he is then why should he pay for her children. I count my own daughter amongst those and even though the whole town knew my ex SIL was sleeping his way round the area his mother thought it was my daughters fault….she worked…she expected him to “help” with the children and housework after he,d spent a hard day at work…lol.Maybe our generation is to blame for feckless dads,spoilt boys who believe they are gods gift to women.
He hasn’t,t paid for his amazing children but now 15 years down the line he,s incandescent with rage because one of the kids wants to change her name.They are amazing kids but it’s no thanks to him.Mums like my daughter deserve whatever help they can get.They aren’t, scrounges or any of the other names some on here pin on them

I do blame Labour politicians though, child poverty could be so easily and quickly reduced by this measure. These are in the main small children, they should not have to wait. Court Conservative votes by all means but admit that that is what they are doing, don't pretend to care about child poverty.

The new government cannot just conjure 3.5 billion pounds without borrowing, raising taxes or making cuts to public services. They have pledged to keep to the previous goverment's fiscal rules for now.

They have a strategy to address child poverty which is already underway.

There are a couple of good threads on X from @edwinhayward and @TorstenBell that you might like to read.

To quote from the first:

If in a few months - around the Autumn statement or shortly thereafter - Labour are still grinding their gears on child poverty without any progress, then you have the right to be aggrieved.

I love cheese, I understand your point but I don’t see Starmer’s current position as courting conservatives. Labour mp’s share commitment to reducing child poverty. Their success in this election is down to Starmer making the economic promises he did. Building the economy, getting people working for decent wages has to be central.

My son's father left just prior to his birth....he never paid a penny despite a court order for maintenance and later CSA (child support agency) involvement.

He was actually a Police officer for a number of years and then moved into self employment.

I provided information and evidence on numerous occasions but nothing was ever done.
I think it's disgusting that so many absent parents are allowed to get away with this, either total non payment or a derisory sum and that it's been allowed to continue for many years - my son is in his 40's and I work with younger people who are going through the same struggle now.
I often wonder why we don't adopt the practice of some American states...removing driving licence etc?!!

What a good idea Dee1012 something like that would surely focus ‘feckless dads’ minds. They’d soon shape up and take some responsibility for their kids if it meant they couldn’t drive.

I understand that Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have committed themselves to sticking with the so called "fiscal rules" but these rules are entirely arbitrary. I also understand that they say they intend to alleviate child poverty in the future. I think, though, that childhood is too short and poverty too damaging to children, for them to have to wait. The most vulnerable members of our society should be a priority. I am going out now, or I would continue to rant on about it.

I believe we should use removal of driving licences as part of a non custodial sentence. Passports another suggestion

I seem to recall that Child Benefit was introduced, so that the mother had some money. The main breadwinners (men) were historically paid in cash and would drink most of it on the way home on a Friday or just not give anything to the wife.

As for ex-husbands not contributing, whatever happened to Garnishee Orders?

Reading through the various comments on here it’s understandable that the government can’t please everyone. Personally, I feel that if you can’t afford to have three children you shouldn’t have them. Why do people think it’s the government’s responsibility to look after their children?

what about if you could afford them, and then you can't ?
illness, disease, divorce, death, disability, redundancy...

I would have loved to have four children or maybe even six or eight as they are so adorable. But we could only afford two so we had two. In any case, the planet cannot afford all these children so I really do think some kind of financial deterrent is needed.

👏👏*I love cheese*.
Nobody things that the government should look after their children. Point me to evidence of parents saying, ‘Ooh well there’s the child benefit, let’s go for it’.

And I think that in 30-40 years time the country will be glad of
these children.

HattieTopper

Years ago I worked in a clinic where baby andmilk and vitamin drops were given out freely to young mothers on child benefit. They handed over their tokens, were given 3 tins of SMA milk and vitamin drops. They then went to the phone in the reception area, rang for a taxi to take them to a shopping centre. then went outside and lit up a cigarette.

She was on benefits but could afford to get taxis and smoke. Other mums who could not caim benefits as they were above the threshold for claiming them were having to pay a lot of money for their baby milk so were worse off than the mothers on benefits.

There is something wrong with our system.

"Years ago"

Much confusion everywhere. Child benefit replaced Family Allowance
but csn be reduced if one parent is high earner (unsure of new limit).The 2 child limit applies to universal credit or child tax credits (being phased out). Universal credit is claimed by many working families, not just the demonised "babies on benefits" single mums so beloved of the right wing press

I don't think the alternatives for not having the unplanned child are easy for a Mother either

I understand that Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have committed themselves to sticking with the so called "fiscal rules" but these rules are entirely arbitrary. I also understand that they say they intend to alleviate child poverty in the future. I think, though, that childhood is too short and poverty too damaging to children, for them to have to wait. The most vulnerable members of our society should be a priority. I am going out now, or I would continue to rant on about it.

Urmstongran

^I think Paul Johnson (The Times Monday) is nearer the mark. ‘If middle income people have to make financial trade-offs and sacrifices when deciding how many children to have, is it really fair to have an open- ended commitment to poorer families who decide to have more children’.

Well said that man! 👏👏

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Sorry don't know why my post was repeated

I’m an only child - it seemed a mystery why there was no family allowance paid to the first born. At least that’s been changed since.
We weren’t well off, especially as Dad had a long daily commute on public transport, which took a fair chunk of his wages.

dalrymple23

I seem to recall that Child Benefit was introduced, so that the mother had some money. The main breadwinners (men) were historically paid in cash and would drink most of it on the way home on a Friday or just not give anything to the wife.

As for ex-husbands not contributing, whatever happened to Garnishee Orders?

My understanding is that family allowance, which later became child benefit, was introduced post war to raise the birth rate due to the deaths during WW2

I’m an only child, born 1958, my mother always claims back in the day CB wasn’t paid for the first child?