LIVELINE Thread - (05/10/11 to 14/02/2012)

orourkeda wrote: »

Is means testing as straight forward as these people make out

I think the real problem is that if they do means test this allownace, it is the only allowance that EVERYONE gets, regardless of income, and there would be uproar from the middle class who are subsidising EVERYONE and this is about the only small kick back they get.

Dublin_Mom wrote: »

I think they should limit child benefit to the first 3 kids ( I think they limit it to the first 2 in the UK if I am not mistaken?)

They coud stop paying it for kids who don't even live in the Country :mad:

RadioRetro wrote: »

That toy show FB page seems to have gone... or am I on the wrong one?

https://www.facebook.com/thetoyshow?sk=wall

orourkeda wrote: »

If they cut one aspect of social welfare and then increase another where are the savings coming from

Exactly.

And tomorrow on Joe: Employers who can't fill positions because applicants say "It's not worth their while coming off the dole"

Barry Cowan makes the news headlines? RTÉFF in full effect...I didn't hear news at one...did whoever was interviewing him stick it up him?? Unbeliievable stuff.

CAB brought in 3.1million? Bet you they cost at least twice that...but you won't hear about that.

I don't like how your man on Mooney gets a Soapbox to rant about Childrens Allowance with no counterpoint.

It is meant to a be a light hearted show about ... er... tits and Mary Byrne and leprachauns and stuff.

bijapos wrote: »

Short term they should tax the CA instead of cutting it. It would mean the poorest would lose nothing, the wealthiest would have theirs cut by 41%. It would at least make some savings and give a bit of breathing space for a new system to be brought in.

What about in the case where such income could push the recipient into a higher tax bracket... it could dissuade people from working overtime or similar because they'd be losing more than what was worth their while. A tax credit does away with that... each child would become a partial tax write off (that sounds very clinical) but what we have at the minute are taxpayers getting money that they've paid over in some form of tax, back into their hands with all the admin costs that that incurs... adding it on to dole/FIS/whatever SW payment takes care of those not currently paying tax.
Means testing is going to cost too much, more public service oversight. Taxing it directly as income has pitfalls.
Or you can look at it from another angle, scrapping it completely and putting the money into saving on assocaited costs for parents...without resorting to stereotypes I see and know of many mothers for whom it's a monthly windfall and excuse to go to the local café or off out to the pub on a tuesday night...