Tax Credits system makes no sense sometimes!?

OK I thought that the Tax Credit system (UK) was supposed to encourage people to go out and find work, by topping up the earnings of the lowest income workers to a decent level, making them better off than if they were on benefits? Yes? No?

We get both Working and Child Tax Credit as my other half is on a low wage and I%26#039;m at home with our 9 month old son. I%26#039;ve been told that if you are in receipt of WTC you can get up to 70% of your childcare fees paid if you want to find a job.

OK, so I start looking for a part time job to get me out of the house and bring in some extra money. And what do I find?

Only that, if I get a part time job our income as a %26quot;household%26quot; goes up which means we either lose our WTC entitlement or have is significantly reduced to virtually nothing. Plus in doing so we also lose our entitlement to Childcare so in essence I would be working but would be worse off.

How does this make sense? I love being at home with my baby but the extra 鎷?would help.

Tax Credits system makes no sense sometimes!?

Completely agree, I%26#039;m currently serving in the RAF and my wife wanted to go back to work now our daughter is 1, but we found the same with the childcare issue - they give with one hand and take away with the other. We worked out that all my wifes wages would do is pay for childcare after the government took other benefits away, and at the end of the day my wife, like yourself would rather have the time with her daughter. It sucks *** that those in this country who want to get off their backside and contribute to the economy are forced to stay at home by an inappropriate and ill-devised system. Now consider the long term effects, in the event my wife and I separate in the future - 10 years from now say - after a decade of living on my income she is now untrained, unqualified, unable to get a decent job and will then have to rely on the government for benefits to support herself, adding further strain to a crumbling system that is already struggling to support a large number of immigrants. All this because they wouldn%26#039;t support her drive to work and contribute. Take this on a nationwide scale and in a few years the country will be on it%26#039;s knees.

Tax Credits system makes no sense sometimes!?

It doesn%26#039;t make sense - but there are druggies and immigrants to pay for

Tax Credits system makes no sense sometimes!?

You are learning how it really works!

Many people are on the low end, the bottom 1/2 of tax-paying families make 25,000 a year or less! Couple that with child-care and medical care! It really means that over 1/2 of America lives in poverty!

They deal with a system that devalues children and parents!

Tax Credits system makes no sense sometimes!?

I think it is wrong of people to take money from their government and vice versa. If you are able to work then you should, never take hand outs it demeans your individual freedom.