Parents are supportive of the freezing of child benefits for the next three years.
This is the view shared by mums and dads the Leader spoke to after Tuesday’s Budget.
But readers were divided over the Chancellor’s move to reduce tax credits for families earning more than £40,000.
Elaine Griffiths, from Mold, said everyone needed to play their part to help the country’s finances back on track.
She said: “I think the freeze is necessary. People are not going to like it, but it would be a lot worse if they were stopping benefits altogether.
“We’re lucky to have child benefits at all, a lot of countries don’t. The country’s in debt and the money to pay it back has to come from somewhere.”
Debbie Orient said: “Mums are good at making do with what they’ve got. Everybody’s reducing their spending: I’m doing a lot more cooking and share left over food with my neighbour.”
Buckley dad Ian Cousin told the Leader he thinks everyone needs to make sacrifices for the good of the country, and added: “The child benefit doesn’t go up by very much each year anyway so it won’t make a big difference.”
Emma Thomas said: “I have a 14-year-old son and I had heard they were going to stop benefits for children over 13, so I was quite pleased they will continue.”
Rachel Drew supports the Chancellor’s plan to reduce tax credits for families earning more than £40,000
She said: “It’s unfair at the moment that those who are paid a lot receive the same benefits so it’s good the tax credits will be cut for those earning more.”
But mum of two Michelle Williams, from Mynydd Isa, said: “I don’t mind them freezing child benefits but cutting tax credits is unfair. Why should the general public pay for the government’s mistakes?”
The Government also plans to introduce measures to encourage single parents to go back to work once their child reaches school age.
Vicki Bushell, who runs Mynydd Isa parent and toddler group and has a child herself, said: “Those living on benefits should be encouraged to go back to work.”
Elaine Griffiths added: “I think the benefits in this country are quite generous. Everybody in this country needs to stop living out of other people’s pockets.”
Living with the VAT increase
Lorraine Roberts, of Acton, gave birth to triplets Grace, Ruby and Eva earlier this year, and says the 2.5 per cent rise in VAT will affect families the most.
The mum, who also has five other children, said: “I’m sure the VAT is going to increase the cost of living – it means the cost of clothing is going to go up, and the cost of food.
“Child benefit has been frozen but that won’t really make much difference because it never went up much anyway.
“But you just have to keep with it – worrying won’t solve anything. You’ve just got to deal with it as it happens.”
Although there was no increase on fuel duty announced on Tuesday, secretary of Wrexham’s Hackney Carriage Association John O’Keefe said taxi drivers like himself would still be hit hard by the rise in VAT.
He said: “We can’t afford to put our fares up because we are really down on turnover, it’s really bad.
“Our costs are going to go up with the VAT but we are going to have to absorb it, even though we are struggling.
“It’s two years since we had a fare price rise but we are desperate to hang on to the customers. I was talking to some of the lads and they said if you put it up you alienate the customers you have now.
“I’m only keeping going because my own personal circumstances are better than some as I don’t have a mortgage. But I am struggling to make £250 a week.”
Cheshire West and Cheshire Council (CWaC) delivery driver Alan Turner said of the increase: “It doesn’t help that prices go up – but a budget is a budget, I wouldn’t expect anything less.
“Every budget is the same and even though there has been a freeze on public sector workers pay I won’t see a massive change.
“We get a yearly increase but it’s not enough to make a huge difference.”
Part-time library assistant Felicity Moffatt, 51, of Great Boughton, Chester, said: “From my point of view VAT is the biggest worry – that is where I will see the knock-on effect.
“I am pleased with the rest of the other announcements – something needed to change and we had to get money from somewhere.”
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