Don't have kids unless you can afford them....

[R1Geezer]

On the front of some of the dailies today, a Fair statement from the governement? Should we be discouraging the "baby factory" "career scrounger" people?

[squarebear]

Yes I would say you had misread that Dave. Naomi is referring to people who have children with no means of supporting them, not those who have been made redundent.

[youngmafbog]

I see the usual wild claims coing from the resident labourites.

Yes, we need to target those that see children as a means to more income. Perhaps Child benfit should be stopped at 2 kids?

It can easily be worked so those who have contributed are not clobered. Hopefully the Tories will not adopt the New labour sledge hammer to crack a nut approach.

[R1Geezer]

fair enough dave yours are trying, the world loves a tryer. As I've said above this is about career scroungers. I don't think anyone can predict that they'll never get laid off.

[Davethedog]

Square - nope no kids at all. Youngest is at uni.

Had to persuade the eldest to sign on to get the NI covered.

As I say I am being extreme - but I hate whitewash politics and even more I hate those who support whitewash politics. Compassion is supposed to be human trait and there are some truely sad cases out there who need the support of the rest of us.

I have no idea if the "scroungers" out there outnumber the truely neededy and I guess as long as this persists I will never find out. All I would say is that some people need to think for themselves but they are quite prepared to follow the heard.

Thats it I am saying no more. (On this)

[LoftyLottie]

Personally, I think child benefit should be stopped altogether. It is outdated and doesn't serve it's original purpose.

And yes I think it's a fair statement from the Government.

[squarebear]

Doesn't matter if they outweigh the needy, Every one of them should be penalised.

[redcrx]

"Jeremy kyle has us believing that the country is awash with people who have no aspirations at all "

sadly i know at least 3 families directly who do base the number of children they have on what extra benefits they can get, same as the hours they work (if they work at all)

[squarebear]

I too know several who have no plans on ever finding work as the state pays for them, while they sit at home watching a TV that would fill a wall and driving a 4x4

[ummmm]

But the money on benefits is crap....I've claimed a few times in my life for short periods. I couldn't live on it. It would barely cover my food bill...

[rov1200]

With the projected population of the UK to reach 70 million in just a few years we could end up like some third world country. Houses are not being built, jobs are not being created, people are living longer. The only answer is mass repatriation of those who shouldn't be here.

[R1Geezer]

It's surprisingligy good when you have 12 kids, no bills no rent to pay just £30K + to spend on whitelightening and dope.

[squarebear]

You must have missed the stories such as this one:

MUM-OF-TWO Jaimie and her boyfriend Chris live off benefits they are entitled to claim - and they are not ashamed to admit it.

The couple, who live in a two-bedroom council flat with son Bailey, two, and baby daughter Elisia, receive just under £17,000 a year from the Government in handouts.

That includes £4,200 a year in housing benefit, £8,866 a year in jobseeker's allowance and another £3,900 a year for child benefit and child tax credit.

Jaimie, 20, said: "We live very nicely on benefits and we wouldn't want to change our lifestyle. We also like Chris staying at home because if he got a job our benefits would be cut. Why would we want that to happen?

[redcrx]

well some are certainly getting more that the minimum, ummm. Honestly, one family i know, neither parent work, both smoke, drink occasionally take drugs, 3 kids, 1 car, out clubbing.

another: one parent working for very low wages, 2 kids, car, mother refuses to work (wont even consider part time when both kids at school) as first child turned 1 year old (and child tax credit plummets at that point) she actually started a discussion about how much she would be better off if she fell pregnant again and said she couldnt afford not to really.

[BadNewsBear]

There is a lack of compassion in this thread...

[ummmm]

So who pays the bills? I know you can get housing benefit and council tax benefit but what about gas, electricity, water, tv, phone, insurance.

[squarebear]

gas, electricity, water all paid for.
insurance? what insurace?? They expect any bills to be picked up by the state.

[bobjugs12]

Vibes, sorry mate, but my Mother works in one of the largest housing estates in the south, trying to (omongst other things) get people back into work. The group who want to but can't are far outweighed by the group who can't be arsed. BTW these stats are coming from the most liberal woman you can ever hope to meet.
Generally, they fall into four groups (and I don't mean to make sweeping generalisations):
Those who have worked, and are trying to work again regardless of the job. These are the people we should be helping and supporting whatever way we can.
Those who have worked, and are only trying to find jobs that they deem acceptable, ie "I used to be a administrator, so why should I go an work in Asda?". Somehow, claiming dole is less of an insult to their pride than getting a job with a stylish lime-green waistcoat
Those who have worked, and now enjoy the dole life so much, they have no intention going back.
and
Those who have never worked and have no intention of working.

[ummmm]

Do you get more if the child is under 1 year old then?

[redcrx]

your'e right hun, for some the bills are a nightmare to juggle.

one of those i mentioned above said once "ooooh i really want to go away this weekend but cant afford the fuel, i shall cancel the direct debit for Sky this month"

It seems that the benefits system is being abused by some. It should be there for the needy and yet there are the lazy out there who are depleting what little funds are there.

sadly, the only way the government will be able to deal with the mess is by clamping down hard on everyone.

[naomi24]

Dave, yes, you have misread it. Squarebear has it right. The welfare system was introduced as a safety net, not as a chosen lifestyle for the lazy bu&&ers who milk the system in whatever way they can because they don't want to work. The bleeding hearts bleat on about the hard done by working class - or in this case non-working class - but since the majority of the money that goes into the system comes from the genuine working class, those who abuse the system are in fact swindling their own - and those who condone the scroungers' 'rights' to benefits are in reality supporting that. Why can't they see that the less that is given to the voluntarily idle the more there will be for the genuinely needy? What a skewed view of life they have.