"The concept of doing something with child benefit, of changing the rules around child benefit, is something that has been being discussed for some time"
About this Quote
The subtext is reassurance to two audiences with opposing anxieties. To fiscal hawks, “changing the rules” hints at restraint and conditionality: child benefit as a lever for “fairness” or deficit discipline. To families who rely on it, the sentence’s mushiness functions as a sedative: no sharp edges, no timetable, no concrete loss to protest. Even the awkward continuous tense - “has been being discussed” - is doing work. It pushes responsibility into a long, bureaucratic past where no single person owns the idea and no single moment demands accountability.
Context matters: child benefit sits at the intersection of welfare politics and cultural identity, a symbol of whether the state treats children as a public good or a private choice. May, a cautious operator by brand and necessity, reaches for procedural language to signal seriousness without committing to a fight. It’s politics as risk management: keep the option alive, keep the outrage dormant, and let “discussion” stand in for decision.
Quote Details
| Topic | Parenting |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
May, Theresa. (2026, January 15). The concept of doing something with child benefit, of changing the rules around child benefit, is something that has been being discussed for some time. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-concept-of-doing-something-with-child-benefit-163262/
Chicago Style
May, Theresa. "The concept of doing something with child benefit, of changing the rules around child benefit, is something that has been being discussed for some time." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-concept-of-doing-something-with-child-benefit-163262/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The concept of doing something with child benefit, of changing the rules around child benefit, is something that has been being discussed for some time." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-concept-of-doing-something-with-child-benefit-163262/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
