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It is most unfair to withdraw a benefit without even a States debate. How can one man make such a far reaching decision?
My children have been looking forward to the 20 free hours, they currently pay more on childcare than they do on the mortgage, and a second child is looking increasingly unaffordable. To be able to afford a home, both parents have to go out to work, and the States require the island to be highly productive. To achieve such a high percentage of women at work, there must be an incentive. The alternative is higher immigration, and higher benefits to families with only one wage earner.
I'm not sure where the figure of £3,900 the Director of Education mentions comes from. It costs around £14,000 a year for childcare for one child, and the milestone which allows some free hours is eagerly awaited. So if you have a child, you don't earn £75,000, you earn £61,000. If you have two children close together, as most of us do, that goes down to £47,000.
The Council seems happy to withdraw benefits from middle Jersey and increase the tax take from them, but very reluctant to increase the tax take from companies or the very rich. What message does this send?
My children pay more tax year on year, pay more social security, house themselves and are not a draw on benefits as many other young families are. There are not States loans as there were in our day for young families, they have no support to get on and have to fight, not for flash foreign holidays, but to put a roof over their heads.
It's hard to watch your children having to weigh up whether they can ever have another child. £75,000 sounds a lot, but it isn't in Jersey. By the time you've paid your mortgage and childcare for one child, you are not in the lap of luxury. Childcare for two children would be impossible if you are proud and want to self fund as my children do.
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> Kind regards,