Well, in fairness, any short description will be simplistic. But raising the level is more for those taken out of the tax bracket than for those who see a small reduction. And tax avoidance measures, as you point out, merely get folk to "play fair" which morally one can argue they should anyway.
Ultimately it will be those who benefit least that, one way or the other, end up paying more into the coffers.
Child benefit is a missed opportunity. It is being reduced based on one parent's income not the joint family one. And in any case I'd rather just see it removed for second and further children. We need no incentive to have more offspring.