This time last week I received a letter that upset me quiet a bit, we had lost the little tax credits we were allowed to due to the changes made by the government.
If you’re a fan of our facebook page you may have seen a little discussion we had on the whole tax credit situation and I was honestly surprised at how many people have been affected by these changes.
The thing is some of you reading this will be thinking one of a few things:
- You work, you probably don’t need them.
- No one deserve’s to be entitled to tax credits
- Tough luck
To start with your right, I do work as does my other half. In fact I’ve been working since I was in year 11 in school. I used to finish school at 3.30 and then be in work from 4.30 – 6.30 five nights a week. I’m not scared of a hard days work.
What the government do not seem to take into their calculations everything I have to pay out! I don’t get any other help (other than child benefit) so I pay the full price for everything and my mortgage costs almost 90% of my monthly salary. So in effect we are living of one salary.
This is what really gets on my nerves about the government, it’s always means tested on your income, surely it should be done on your disposable income?
It’s a bit like those old child trust funds they used to give out. All children got £250 first installment however you got £500 if you qualified via the means testing, surely all children should be given the same start in life? Regardless of what their parents do, they are going to grow up and pay their taxes back like everyone else so why not start them all off with the same opportunities?
Another great example is those EMA grants that you can claim if you are still at college to help with travel, books etc. I don’t think its much, used to be about £30 a week & you had to attend college otherwise you never got paid. However again that’s means tested on your parents salary not disposable income. I wonder how many kids had to walk miles to college as they never qualified as their parents “earn” too much however after paying all the bills out just couldn’t afford to pay the ridiculous bus fares they want these days. All those kids wanted to do was better themselves, after all its drilled into them that education means everything, its your future.
Sometimes I think why? Why did I bother studying? Why did I bother getting a job whilst I was at school then straight after school? Why did I bother getting myself a decent job?
It seems that the more you pay in taxes the less help you get back. We’ll struggle by and get through, just! However for those who are living even tighter than us probably now feel like they’ve lost their last bit of help and nothing I can do can help that 🙁
Maybe I should run for government, I couldn’t do a worse job than this and the last one!