Sir, The current debate about scrapping child benefit for higher-rate taxpayers is missing an obvious point. Working parents often have to spend a large proportion of their net income on childcare. As a middle-ranking civil servant and working mother expecting my second child, I will soon be spending nearly all of my net income on childcare, although I am a higher-rate taxpayer (just). The financial incentive for me to return to work is therefore limited — precisely at the time when my male peers are starting to reach their potential for senior management.
If the Government, and society, wish to see more women at the top, then women — including higher-rate taxpayers — need more support when it matters most to their careers. If childcare costs themselves cannot be subject to tax breaks, the Chancellor might at least consider how child benefit eligibility could be based on net income after childcare costs, especially for children under 5.
Alice Jacobs
London W6