i-thorts' i-Politics: Child benefit changes take effect

More than a million better-off families will lose some or all of their child benefit, under changes which came into force at midnight.

The government hopes to save £1.5bn a year to help reduce the deficit.

David Cameron described the move as "fundamentally fair" but Labour said it was a "huge assault" on families.

« Read the Rest @ BBC News »

---

also see: « Welfare Cuts? - Not In Our Back Yard! »

An Extra Year Of Austerity Foreseen For Britain

Alongside the atement on Wednesday, the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on Wednesday, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR - the independent fiscal watchdog) are set to tell George Osborne that the Government's efforts to reduce borrowing are in danger.

The OBR are expected to warn this week that the Chancellor looks set to miss his target for bringing down Britain's debt mountain; raising the prospect of more austerity measures.

Unless the Chancellor puts forward further hardship measures, Economists - alarmed by just how difficult it seems for the debt-ratio to begin decreasing in the foretold timescale of 2014-15 and 2015-16 (which Mr Osborne set to reduce GDP) - warn that Mr Osborne's goal for reductions to the gross domestic product were totally underestimated. This means the Chancellor's duel debt-reducing targets are more at risk because of the low growth-estimates and their knock-on impact on the Treasury's revenues.

"When the OBR was established in 2010 I said that the evidence of its success would come when a Chancellor of the Exchequer wished it had never been set up. I think that moment is approaching..."

Sir Alan Budd, chairman of the interim OBR, Sunday Telegraph 02/12/12

As if things aren't bad enough! The outcome being an extra year of hardship is foreseen for British citizens .

Welfare Cuts? - Not In Our Back Yard!

BBC reported (Child benefit 'nimbys' accused) that Middle-classes are fuming at the thought of losing some (or all) child-benefit one parent is earning from £50,000 to £60,000 and over. (Families of three children could loose £4,000.)

This comes after poorer couples (working under 24 hour a week between them) lost up to £100 week (£5,200 a year) in working tax from this April ... and no one battered an eye or even seemed to report it. These are families on minimum wage, earning under £6,000.

Privileged Tory MP Tells Youths: Leave School, Become An Apprentice, or Sing For Your Supper

With the job market shrinking each month and a lack of employer enthusiasm, a Tory MP has told the youth of Britain they should busk to pay for travel expenses to find work.

This is just another Tory living in a fools paradise.

And to tell school leavers not to bother staying on, as they be better off leaving at 16 and getting an apprenticeship, is just pain foolishness. The employment market has not been made as buoyant as they expected (post Olympics); so employers aren't taking on apprenticeships at the moment.