Budget: Child benefit 'cliff-edge' avoided

The government had said it would remove the benefit from any household where at least one member is in the 40% tax bracket - currently on earnings above £42,475. This limit has now been increased to £50,000. Osborne faced calls before the Budget to water down the original measure, including from his own party. Removing benefit from any family was "a difficult decision", he said, but "we simply cannot justify those earning £15,000 paying for those earning £80,000." Osborne was referring to an unintended consequence of the original measure: that a couple not in the 40% bracket but...