Our latest poll for the Sun found overwhelming support for the principle of cutting child benefit for households where someone earns over £44,000. 83% of people said they supported the policy, with only 15% of people opposed.
However, respondents were less supportive of the details of the government's proposal. Child benefit payments will be stopped for any household where there is a top rate taxpayers, meaning that a couple both earning £30k would keep child benefit, while a couple where only one worked and earned £44k would not.
- 41% of people agreed that this was a fair compromise given the cost of fully means testing child benefit
- 46% thought it was unfair and that the policy should be based on a proper means-test.
So the principle of the policy is extremely popular, but people are split over the implementation of it.