http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2384339/Families-working-parents-given-1-500-child-help-care.html

[flump1]

What ever next ?

[Gromit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2384339/Families-working-parents-given-1-500-child-help-care.html

[anotheoldgit]

Wouldn't it be best to give this money to mothers who choose to stay at home and bring up the children they chose to have, themselves?

[flump1]

Thank you Gromit.

[douglas9401]

You've got loads, have some more. It's the Tory way.

[New Judge]

"Wouldn't it be best to give this money to mothers who choose to stay at home and bring up the children they chose to have, themselves?"

No I'm afraid I disagree, AOG. It would be best for the Excequer to keep the money and, if there is so much excess available for such largesse, return it to taxpayers by some method. If, as I strongly suspect, there is no such excess then it could be better spent on, say, the NHS. I don't know when or why it became fashionable for parents to expect their childcare costs to be met by the taxpayer (whether they earn £15k or £150k). A simple way to avoid incurring such costs would be to have fewer or no children. This would also help reduce the population and encourage the government to move away from their economic model which requires an ever growing population to fund vital services.

[hawksley]

Cameron,and osborne,come up with this gimmick, which will only happen if you all vote for us,in the year 2015,but then of course if by any chance we should get elected,which is highly doubtful ,we will take it of you the following year.Mean - while back at the ranch,Idiot duncan Smith is trying to snatch the 200 pounds a year heating allowance from the pensioners.Well done Eton posh Boys.

[bednobs]

as far as i can see it's just the salary sacrifice scheme, which many people receive already. the money isn't "paid out" to families, they just pay less tax because the vouchers are taken before tax is paid. Why would stay at home parent need childcare vouchers?

[anotheoldgit]

New Judge

*** "Wouldn't it be best to give this money to mothers who choose to stay at home and bring up the children they chose to have, themselves?" ***

I made this statement given the choice between mothers who choose to go to work and mothers who choose to stay at home and bring their children up themselves, not as as a suggestion for using up more taxpayers money that could be better used elsewhere as you suggested.

[Sharingan]

That is completely disgraceful.

[bednobs]

AOG i ask again, why would parent's who stay at home need childcare vouchers?
And sharingan, what's disgraceful about it?

[Baldric]

If you can't afford them, don't have them!

[bednobs]

But who in their right mind, if given the option of salary sacrifice (which is what this is) would say "no thanks"?
Many hundred of people already take advantage of salary sacrifice childcare vouchers, the govt is extending it to those people who's employers don't offer it already (by the look of it; i can't say for certain because the article is somewhat lacking in actual facts)

[New Judge]

I introduced my third alternative, AOG, because there are not simply two ways of spending the cash as seems to be suggested. It does not have to be spent at all or it could be spent on something else. We are supposed to be living in straitened times (though you would not believe it if you visted any bar or restaurant on a Saturday night). The idea that the Exchequer can splash cash to help pay to mind children whose parents are earning huge salaries does not align with that supposition.

[bednobs]

hello? Am i using invisible ink or something?
Govt do not seem to be splashing the cash, rather giving parents tax breaks