Rape that results in pregnancy is one circumstance that defies the chancellor’s notion of choice approximately family sizeThe chancellor’s announcement in this year’s budget that the child element of tax credits and universal credit will no longer be awarded for third and subsequent children born after 6 April 2017 is already highly controversial. The effect will be to take up to £2780 per child per year from working families in receipt of tax credits.
The chancellor attempted to root his approach in a notion of fairness,emphasising that it is “valuable to be fair to the many working families who do not see their budgets rise by anything like that [sum] when they enjoy more children”. But that is to compare apples to oranges and to miss need. The implication is that if families on tax credits choose to enjoy a third child, they should be treated, and at the same time,as consciously choosing to be poorer.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com