Comments on: What is the Government planning?

By: 'Niyi

'Niyi — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:12:19 +0000

I am very passionate about the issue of the cancellation of childcare vouchers as it seems to be the only relief my family gets for being involved with full time employment. I believe that better targetting is possible without punishing those who really need the relief that childcare vouchers provide.

The ‘heads’ of the children whose parents will be adversely affected will not forgive this government if it goes ahead with the planned cancellation in its current format!

By: Gloria

Gloria — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:55:47 +0000

Another blow for hard working parents. I’m seriusly considering giving up and going on benefits, I’ll certainly be better off!

By: Working Mum

Working Mum — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:53:49 +0000

Childcare for 2 year olds Gordon? And what exactly are we supposed to do for the first two years??

Or am I right in thinking that *you’ll* be taking two years off next time you have a baby? Ah no, that’s what the wife’s for right?

Doesn’t Labour want the women’s vote? They might do well to remember that we constitute 51% of the British population.

And we’re just about tired of Labour legislating against us.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:02:22 +0000

I’m a childcarer. I accept vouchers from 6 parents. I know that for most of these families the scheme makes a huge difference to their finances. At least two of the parents wouldn’t work if it wasn’t for the vouchers. It just wouldn’t be worth it. At the moment, after paying childcare they are left with very little money, but if they didn’t get this tax break it would end up costing them to go to work by the time you take travel costs etc. into account. Other parents would work shorter hours.

So although I don’t use the vouchers for my daughter; I’m lucky enough to be able to work from home, I do benefit from them. If the scheme was stopped, not only would many parents stop working, but jobs would be lost in the childcare sector, possibly resulting in a drop in standards. Which would be a shame after all the hard work put into place since the EYFS came into being.

By: Liz

Liz — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:46:59 +0000

I agree with most of the comments left here. Basically Gordon is only interested in helping people who do nothing to help themselves. After paying for child care and other bills I am probably worse off than the wasters that stay at home all day!!

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:46:02 +0000

I think all that is being planned is that tax breaks for childcare will be means tested in future rather than available for all, which is understandable in the current ifnancial climate but tough luck for me !!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:22:55 +0000

I give up, I got married, they stopped the married mans tax allowance, I bought a house, they stopped the MIRAS (remember that?!), my now husband left his 1 st wife the same time they started the CSA. He did claim tax relief for this but then they brought in the WFTC and CTC so that was stopped, and to top it off they overpaid us for 6 months then stopped giving us any and we have had nothing since 2003!!!! Now i have just joined this voucher scheme to save a bit of my, yes my, hard earned cash and now they are stopping this. I have paid childcare for 9 years (6 of those for 2 children) and we have worked all our working lives, I am just sick of it, this country is just not benefiting anyone other than those on benefits, and I dont mean the ones who have fell on hard times during the recession, I mean the persistent reapers, thanks Gordon and previous leaders of both the Labour and Tory party, for nothing!!

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:18:47 +0000

Please learn about the whole scheme before commenting. To say scrapping this scheme just hits hard working families is nonsense. If you are struggling surely you do not want to subsidise the very rich and large corporations – yet that is exactly what you are doing. More of the money that would have been in the public treasury for all of us is going to the higher earners and very large corps (like the banks who we have already paid for)than it does to you, or the people who need it most. People on minimum wage cannot even join the scheme!!!!

Campaign for help if you truely need it but not to keep this disgustingly unjust scheme going. For me scrapping it is the first good thing this Labour government has done, even though they brought it in.

By: Jamie Hunter

Jamie Hunter — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:59:16 +0000

Gordon Brown has now decided to commit political suicide. The consequences of this policy are potentially huge. The dangers include, but not limited to, are (i)Many people may have to leave their jobs because they can’t afford the childcare (ii) Unemployment will rise (iii) Benefit payout will rise (iv) Valuable skills are lost from Britains workforce (v)Lost revenue of income tax from the vacated jobs (vi) Childcare providers may have to close and/or make staff unemployed.
What the government should be doing is focusing on reducing cost and not increasing value i.e. Stop payouts to scroungers, be tough on immigration, stop payouts to idiots running the banking sector, cut back on unneccesary public sector spending such as £2,000 desks in Job Centres, £1,000 artwork etc etc.
It’s so frustrating that the people who there to make the country better are the ones that are full of Bullsh#t

By: Sarah W

Sarah W — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:51:38 +0000

DISGUSTING! We are in the throws of a recession, trying to all get our finances more sorted and this stupid man who doesn’t need the financial help decides to take away what is essentially helping many people to stay afloat. When Blair came in he did lots of good things – increase maternity leave, introduction of paid paternity leave, increase SMP, more paid early education places, introduction of this scheme. He’s gone and Brown is now more settled and seems to think it’s a good idea to undo that good work. TWAT! I am a childminder, I know that a lot of women do NOT want to work but they have to in order for their families to have any sort of life, there are also families who want to work but have children too – either way they need help. We still have one of the lowest levels of maternity/paternity leave and pay in Europe (in fact the world) so to then kick everyone in the teeth by withdrawing what is often the only lifeline is stupid. No doubt the next big hit will be on Child Tax Credits which are also stupid. They aren’t “actual means” tested, only based on an income. So what, my husband earns well but our outgoings nearly wipe us out due to the ridiculous cost of living these days – does Brown care, no – he has his free house! AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH when will politicians learn!