" or if the children were born as part of a kinship arrangement. "  What on earth does that mean  ?

That's the spirit Ashy, well done  

I'm pleased to report that my productivity has increased from three to five crosswords a day.

For those who didn't know.

Two Children Cap in the English Benefits System
The Two Children Cap was a policy introduced in the UK in April 2017 as part of a broader welfare reform aimed at reducing government expenditure on benefits. This policy primarily affects Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, limiting the number of children for whom families can claim these benefits.
Key Features of the Policy

• Restriction on Child Tax Credit: Families can receive Child Tax Credit for a maximum of two children. Any additional children born after April 6, 2017, are not eligible for this benefit.
• Working Tax Credit: The same cap applies to the Working Tax Credit, which is designed to supplement the income of low-paid workers.
• Exemptions: There are some exceptions to this rule. For instance, families can still receive benefits for additional children if they meet certain conditions, such as multiple births (twins or triplets) or if the children were born as part of a kinship arrangement.

Purpose of the Cap
The main goal of the Two Children Cap was to control the growth of welfare spending and encourage families to manage their finances, while also simplifying the benefits system.
Controversy and Criticism
The policy faced significant criticism for potentially pushing families into poverty and affecting large families disproportionately. Critics argued that it might discourage families from having more children and affect children's welfare.

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November 28, 2025, 05:18:18 PM
If that summary from the internet is correct, it isn't a limit on families whose sole income is benefits, in fact it's a left handed benefit as it is a tax credit. Not being a CA advisor I can only go by what is written here, so if it is correct, the family of 94 where the parents have never worked will still get the full screw.

Quote from: Ashy on August 15, 2025, 01:30:12 PMI think it's easier to send cash to yourself through Western Union than it is to get it out of the bank. They want to know the ins and out of, well you know. A colleague told me they wouldn't let him pay it in without identification. There is no doubt that the ruling elite want to abolish cash, but I would advise them that it can't be done; cash is a natural phenomenon (well coins are) and if the king doesn't make it, someone else will, guaranteed.

I recently wanted some cash, more than a cash machine allows me (!). I have some difficulty in finding a physical branch of my bank and my account is not registered to any branch, so I asked them if I could cash a cheque to myself at another bank, and the answer is: no.

So, as I have an account with Western Union and send money abroad to family, I thought I would send some to myself as an experiment.

NO they wouldn't give it to me without some obscure verification process that I couldn't follow even if I wanted to, even though I presented my passport to the agent. In fact they wanted to know the ins and outs of an aquatic biped's digestive tract.

But I can send to someone else and they don't have this hassle.

 Thanks for the advice, we'll be replacing the old boiler soon, I wouldn't have thought of looking at Boxt. A couple of years ago we had ours repaired by a random Pole and although he fixed it, it hasn't worked right since.

I used British Gas back in the day, and their skills were patchy. 

I've often mentioned this but doubt anybody ever signed up. If you visit somewhere like eBay AliExpress or Temu or scores of other sites via TopCashBack you should get a percentage of what you spend paid back into your TopCashBack account and withdraw from there by bank transfer or you can get some store card credits instead if you choose. I've only ever taken the cash. The tracked purchases take quite a while to become payable. Sometimes they don't track or get denied and you can report the problem via the TCB website. I've found them to be very successful. Unfortunately Amazon are big and ugly enough to get their own customers without bribery so no cashback there.

The big payers are insurances broadband and energy company swaps. The easiest way to use it is through a browser extension. If anybody does join ask about that and I'll go through it.

Looking at my account I've done quite well



But I did join in 2010. Not that I've been super careful to use them all the time and have forgotten loads of times and cursed after. Still better than the proverbial poke in the eye. Wonder when Rachel from Complaints will be wanting to tax it.


The link - https://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/digitalham

I get £30 eventually and whoever signs up gets a £10 Bonus

There will be T&Cs of course but you can get those if and when you sign up.

That's always been there. You must have clicked it and hidden it. I didn't even know that was possible. Click the little arrow on the right again and you should be back to normal.

Sorry - messed up with board permissions when I set it up. Guest posting no longer allowed. Hopefully.

Salut à toi aussi