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David Johnson wrote:

> I suspect reality backs up your view. The gullible will always
> fall for the right wing shock, horror, isn't it terrible, what
> a bunch of parasites, they are all over the place apart from me
> who is breaking my testicles viewpoint.
>
Yes that Gordon Brown bloke is such a right-winger.

Retrospectively as individual case there is little alternative to the state paying out enough to house, feed and keep her and the children. ?32Kpa plus I guess there are things they don't pay for on top seems high though.

Generally, as discussed in other threads here, the lack of council houses is not the real issue. Rather it is high unemployment and low paid jobs so too few can afford a mortgage.

I'll get shot down by some for this but personally think it is irresponsible for a couple to consider having children unless they can realistically afford to bring them up to age 18. Inevitably unexpected situations arise e.g. redundancy, long term illness / disability and it is those in these situations that the welfare system is intended for, not those who have no intention of aiming to be self-sufficient or even minimising the benefits they claim but rather to scrounge as much from the state as they can.

I read of a advert placed by a women openly seeking someone anonymous to get her pregnant so she could then get a house and benefits, what a background for that child -
just one parent from birth
never knowing or being able to trace who the father is
will the mother ever do more than the absolute minimum for the child
how will child be be treated by others at school etc
once an adult what attitude / ethics will they have
....
....
....

Some info you probably don't know.



A few main points from the report.

"Less than 2 per cent of single parents are teenagers

The median age of single parents is 38.1

59.2 per cent of single parents are in work, up 14.5 percentage points since 1997

Paid work is not a guaranteed route out of poverty for single parents; the poverty rate for single parent families where the parent works part time is 31 per cent, and 17 per cent where the parent works full time

Parental separation and the resulting single parent status often leads to financial hardship. That resulting poverty may be a significant factor in explaining poorer child outcomes rather than family structure "

Like you say Sparky, the issue is considerably more complex than a story about a woman allegedly wanting to get up the duff as a money making machine based on benefits.

None of us have crystal balls. Clearly there are business people who have a number of children, who when their businesses go tits up, they lose everything. Tend not to hear too much about that in the tabloids. Much more about the shock, horror aren't those chavs terrible based on the most extreme case that hacks can dig up.