The Lilypad blog is not controversial or political, we like humour and peace but we also share information about things that are important and what is important to families is making sure that they have enough money at the end of each month to feed, cloth and put a roof over their children's heads.

Now my daughters have a better wardrobe than me, like to eat me out of house and home and have enough doll's houses and play houses to call a village, so the benefit should surely be called "mummy benefit" not "child benefit", as I am the one in need of new clothes and my favourite treats to actually remain in the kitchen cupboards long enough for me to enjoy them. I am joking of course ( I hide my treats).

There is no escaping the news this month that the Government are making significant changes to the child benefit system which mean that not everyone will automatically get the same amount of child benefit, as has historically happened. It has been announced that higher earners will now see their benefit taken away over a phased process. The current system means that parents are currently able to claim £20.30 in child benefit a week for their first child, and an additional £13.40 for any further children they have. The benefit is worth around £1,000 annually to parents with one child, £1,700 to those with two and £2,500 to parents with three. This is certainly not money to be sniffed at!

Having children is our choice, obviously, and a choice that many of us make over and over again. On the face of it, it does appear to penalise those higher earning parents who have worked hard to command such salaries but equally the "pot of money" is not endless, so it must be capped somewhere. The system is never going to satisfy everyone and the qualifying levels can be quite confusing but I found a clear outline on the MyFamilyClub website here.

The benefit system in this country is acclaimed all over the world, yet berated by the very people that receive it. I don't always agree with Government decisions but ultimately they have a budget to manage, the same as every family does.