Europe needs babies...

...so why would Ireland remove child benefit from larger families?

Europe needs babies is the message from the European Parliament which voted in favour of extending both maternity and paternity leave  this week.  But here it was reported that child benefit could be cut for third and subsequent children in the December Budget, sending a wave of panic through larger families. PACUB is supporting these families in opposing any further cuts to child benefit for any group.

PACUB spokeswoman Niamh Kelly commented: “Parents are living in fear and dread of what's ahead. They are very concerned and scared, and many don't know how they will survive this winter and indeed the next 4 years.

“Why are we here again? There are other ways to make the cuts that have been suggested without targeting our most valuable asset: our children. Only last year an OECD report heavily criticised our lack of investment in our young. They say we need to do more, and the increases in child benefit a few years ago is just the first step.

“Yet now we read that cuts are yet again planned, with bigger families being unfairly targeted. This completely contradicts the rationale for child benefit: When it was first introduced in 1946 by Sean Lemass it was to help bigger families with 3 or more children. It was expanded as a way for the country to invest in the next generation and the future of Ireland.

“Parents will feel discriminated against and penalised for having more than two children, this latest idea does not take into account family background or expenses. Regardless of how many children they have, many families now feel that they are on a cliff edge struggling to hang on. Their fingers are slipping and come January 2011 many will fall if the government continues on its path to cut child benefit.”

PACUB believes that families are being expected - again - to take the biggest hit in the proposed austerity measures. Families live in bigger houses, use more water, send their children to school, and visit doctors and hospitals more often. These are all areas that the Government is threatening to target! And they want our child benefit as well. Some commentators have described the Government's contribution of €150 a month to the cost of raising a child as 'a lot'. Perhaps these are these the same commentators that told us that the total cost of raising a child to 18 in Ireland is up to €300,000 - or €1,390 a month.

There are plenty of alternatives to cutting child benefit, starting at the top with Dail salaries and expenses, followed by the introduction of a fairer tax system, removal of tax reliefs apart from mortgage tax relief and the abolition of unnecessary quangos. Those changes would make a big difference.

This press release was issued today

Another family dreading Christmas

Christmas should be one of the best days of the year for families.  Instead, while children are getting excited, their parents are desperately wondering what the December Budget will do to their fragile finances, and where they will find the money to make Christmas special this year.  


Another mother tells her story:

We are one of those middle income families with 'irresponsible consumer debt' as they're now calling it. We're struggling to pay a car loan that we took out before the recession as a necessary part of rural living with no public transport. The car was needed as my husband drives a three hour round trip to work to an area that has no bus or rail service. The cuts and levies that have already been imposed are already leaving us struggling. The child benefit is used in our home for grocery shopping. The children already wear hand me down clothes and we rarely go out, either as a couple or as a family. Neither my husband or myself smoke and we've cut back on pretty much everything we can at this stage. The only things left to give up are our bin collection and the TV. We have no savings and the thought of Christmas leaves me with a feeling of dread.

I know we're lucky in that my husband is still employed but the constant worry is for how long. We have no family here and my husband works irregular shifts so even if part time work for me was an option, there aren't any jobs out there for me to do.

I wonder if the government truly knows how bad it is for many of us?

Middle income families need child benefit too

As explained in a letter to Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív T.D. by a Cavan mother of four:

Dear Sir,

I wanted to contact you directly, because at this time I am extremely 
worried and annoyed at the prospect of the impending budget and what 
that might do to my child benefit.

I and my husband are law abiding tax paying citizens, we have never 
claimed for anything that we were not entitled too. It seems our only 
crime is having children, which it is clear that this government does 
not value. The greatest crime of all perhaps is that 3 of my 4 children 
are triplets. Whilst I know that we receive an enhanced payment for our 
children (currently €1198 per month) I would implore you that this money 
is not used to pay for a lavish lifestyle or shoes and handbags. Every 
cent of that money is used to pay for schooling (including the non 
voluntary contributions!) feeding and clothing, I would also used this 
money to pay bills. At the end of each month I don't have money left 
over, indeed I shop in Lidl to make my euro stretch as far as it can. If 
there is €10 in our account at the end of the month I am lucky.

My husband is a "middle income worker" currently on middle 50'sK and 
the only income coming into the house. We do not qualify for medical 
cards. My children cannot see the dentist, I simply do not have the 
money per child to go and I am unable to go either and I seriously need 
to! I dread it if we need to go to the doctor, how or where will I find 
€45 plus prescription money, that's half of a week's grocery shopping. We 
have an averaged sized house and whilst we carry a mortgage we are making 
those payments.

However, if you slash our benefit, and introduce higher taxes or 
property and water charges, I simply do not know how we will make ends 
meet. Whilst I can appreciate that perhaps that sounds dramatic, it is 
the truth and Christmas will be a very poor affair in this house.

Next year we have communion for our triplets, how will I afford even the 
dresses which I know they would like? Forget holidays there won't be 
any. Saving money for a rainy day...there isn't any.

My question then is this, how do you expect us to cope? A whole swathe 
of middle class people have simply become the working poor, and if you 
as a government constantly tax and take money from us, just how do you 
expect to stimulate the spending and thus get us out of a downward spiral?

I know I am not alone, there are families all over Ireland like mine, 
fearful of the budget, fearful of whether they will be able to continue 
to live in their homes, be able to make ends meet.

Finally I am angry that this country's wealth has been squandered on the 
banks. I am livid that this government rather than look to streamline the 
quangos, committees and inefficient running of state departments, which 
are rich for being targeted as a first line of spending cut. The 
government would rather seek to take from the families of Ireland. Thus 
perpetuating the story that cronyism is alive and well in Ireland. I 
have lost my respect for this government and my faith in the country. 
What have my children got to look forward too? Certainly not an 
opportunity rich future.

Sincerely,

Sarah

Four children in a freezing cold house

Lynda, a lone parent of four from Wexford, tells it like it is:

I've just sent this letter to all TD's, good to get it off my chest. But I'm sure they wont take a blind bit of notice!

**I hope as you all sit there discussing cuts in child benefit in your nice warm offices that you think of my four children sitting in a freezing cold house as already with last years cuts and the rise in fuel prices, I cannot afford to buy any oil or coal to heat the house. I'm just about managing to keep my car (which is a necessity not a luxury) on the road.

I rely on my child benefit to get my children what they need for school & clothing, pay for their study, school bus & the 1 extra curricular activity each that they do.  I have to say no if they ask to do anymore, as any other money I have just pays for food & keeps a roof over our heads.  I don't drink, smoke or socialise, if I have any cash at all to spare I will try once a month to let the kids go into town with their friends & give them some spending money.

As you can see I am struggling, like a lot of other people in this country. You want to bring in water rates too, as well as cut child benefit, this will absolutely push me & many others over the edge financially, & I will be lucky to be able to put food on the table.

Child Benefit is our life line

Hello and welcome to the PACUB blog.  We're going to post up press releases, updates, information and anything else we can think of here, as we don't have a website this year.

So here's our first press release, issued on Thursday 14th October:

 'Child Benefit is our life line' say worried families

Worried families from all over Ireland are appalled at Government suggestions that child benefit will be cut again in this year’s Budget.  They are continuing to join the PACUB (Protest Against Child Unfriendly Budget) Facebook Group to oppose any change to child benefit.

During 2010 the situation for many families has worsened and even more are depending on child benefit to pay for basics like food and bills, to ensure that their children are properly nourished and live in homes that are warm and dry. Unlike the UK, Irish parents have many additional expenses that are not supplemented by the government such as school books, 'voluntary' school contributions, doctors bills, prescriptions and hospital fees. For many families who have absorbed job losses, loss of pay coupled with negative equity - child benefit has become a life line.

PACUB spokeswoman Niamh Kelly says:  “We oppose any cuts to child benefit as it is the only payment made to families in this country that recognises the extra cost of raising the next generation of tax payers.   More cuts will cause huge hardship for all families from all backgrounds.  We know that many families are finding it hard to pay for heating and electricity, so even a small cut and many more households will be facing into the winter with no heat or light.  Children are the innocent ones who will suffer the most from any reduction in child benefit.

“We do not accept the constant comparisons with child benefit in the UK as families there enjoy truly free education and health care as well as tax credits and lower prices.  A universal child benefit payment is relatively cheap and easy to administer and is fair to all children.  To those who say that child benefit should be taken away from rich families: we say just tax them more.  It’s easier, cheaper and more efficient.”

Protest by contacting TDs, Senators and MEPs.  This can be easily done using the website contact.ie.

About PACUB


PACUB  was established in April 2009 following the Supplementary Budget.  The Group represents families who were disproportionately targeted by the measures announced then and in the next budget.  More than 16,000 people signed on-line petitions and paper petitions, while hundreds posted protest letters to politicians and the media, or sent unused nappies to the Taoiseach to symbolise the huge cost of raising children in rip-off Ireland.  Angry mothers appeared on radio, TV and in the papers in order to send a clear message to the Government - leave child benefit alone.  They didn’t listen.


More information on PACUB on Facebook (search PACUB) or on the PACUB blog. Contact Niamh (085 782 6118), Sarah (086 3864871), Candi (085 1289 342) or Carol  (087 675 3734) or on email via protest4childbenefit@gmail.com