Tax Credits/EMA

[scoobydooby]

I'm a little puzzled as to how this works...

2 scenarios....

A friend and her hubby (hubby earning 60k per year and friend working part-time as a care worker for pocket money) - nice big house, 3 kids. Hubby goes off with someone else - eldest child then qualifies for EMA. Why are the father's wages not taken into consideration? He may well have left the family home but surely he's still responsible? My hubby and I don't earn anything like their income and are still worse off than them even though they've split - but our child doesn't qualify. Where's the fairness in that? I'm not against EMA payments as such but I think they should be means tested against both parents whether absent or not.

Another friend has just split with her hubby (he too went off with someone else). Again, between them they earn much more than my hubby and I. In fact, the woman worked only part time (in the same job as me) but I work full time. Her take home pay was just over half of mine. However, she's now having her monthly income topped up to what I'm taking home with tax credits! Again, I realise she needs enough money to survive and I'm not against tax credits (that amount) being paid to someone who needs it but why aren't hubby's wages being taken into account? More importantly, why the hell are me and my hubby working our buts off full time?

[Kathyan]

And that is an example of what is wrong with this country. Stay together and get no help, split up and get everything. There is something seriously wrong when a couple who work hard get less than a couple who do nothing. It's time the married tax allowance was brought back. I can't work due to health reasons so my personal tax allowance isn't used. Years ago you could transfer your allowance to your husband, but they stopped it, why?

[bednobs]

ema is a load of rubbish anyway - paying kids to get an education is a little bit silly in my view, on top of the fact that its very unfair

[helpmetoo]

lazy persons tax credits!
be more socially responsible!
why should others have to pay to support these spongers with their crummy jobs and kids they shell out and cant support?
family tax credit.... a credit in my opinion means a rebate of tax paid not a bung in excess of total earnings!
i want a lazy persons porsche tax credit,
i cant afford a porsche but hey, i am getting one anyway,
you can all contribute to the cost!

[Markandshez]

Totally agree with you all. My hubby has to work overtime and that puts us over the limit and we dont get EMA. Across the road hasnt worked in years but gets it.

That said,

Who told you life was going to fair scoobydoo ?

[amonty1144]

The tax office completely messed up my tax credit and overpaid me, I haven't received a thing for 3 years now, as i'm having to repay all of it, meanwhile struggling to pay childcare.
Me and hubby work and for the summer holidays really struggle, �122 per week for out of school club.
If I was single I would get it paid.
Definitely not fair, why do any of us work?