Don't have kids you can't afford!

But for someone living on benefits, the small proportion they pay in indirect taxes such as VAT etc will still be many times smaller than the amount of taxpayer funded benefits they receive. So they'll still be a significant net recipient.

Is Income tax the only tax you know about?

@Unrulyscrumptious now I don’t agree with everything that @No5ChalksRoad says - however I’m a little baffled by your assumption that anyone receiving benefits is paying their fair share of taxes , plenty are paying absolutely zilch and have for many years, simply taken from the system . Now that indeed ‘is’ the system, so it’s not illegal as you say, but the assumption that all are contributing in taxes and NI is way off the mark - a great many are not and if they have lots of kids are purely taking significant amounts out of public money

My son in his 40s has an 8 year old that he adores and sees a lot - almost 50/50 - the mother , who I liked in all honestly , does seem to be a bit of a serial maintanance collector, - 3 kids now, all different dads- as my son says, she likes babies and kids, she doesn’t really want/need relationships but likes the financial support - none of which counts against benefits - all a nice add on -

You seem not to understand what a personal insult is.

I could give you an example, but I fear it would be against Talk guidelines.

You need to train yourself to discuss topics in the abstract without personal insults toward those with whom you disagree.

Posters who resort to ad hominem attacks are essentially admitting they have lost the debate. And have nothing of substance to contribute.

So you have no children and call other people a waste of space but unless you plan on euthanising yourself you will expect other people’s children to look after you?

Or the answer is more immigration because you think you will be treated well when you’re in a care home where 90% of the workers are from abroad, potentially from a country that the uk had a bad history with?

Please. That argument is so tedious.

There is no shortage of human beings; there are more on the planet today than ever before. There will never be a shortage. Subsidies aren’t necessary and just encourage imprudent procreation among people who should be focusing on education and employment.

I doubt anyone would regret not having had a baby at 16!

At that age most people are still growing up and in education, learning new skills, considering what careers they might want to pursue and as well as starting to have a first relationships.

It is not inherently selfish to have children. Or to want them. It could be argued that in a country like ours where the birth rate is not at replacement levels and therefore in need of immigration to support us (frequently taking educated and experienced people from countries that can ill afford a brain drain), it is not having children that is selfish.

And you get plenty back. You dial 999 and you will get the police/ambulance/fire service. You drive on publically funded roads. Your bins are collected. Social Services support the vulnerable. A court and punishment system is in place. Children are educated for everyone’s future benefit etc etc etc

I doubt anyone would regret not having had a baby at 16!

At that age most people are still growing up and in education, learning new skills, considering what careers they might want to pursue and as well as starting to have a first relationships.

Exactly. I had a baby at 16 and grew up in a nice area too (I know it gets said that teen mums only live in shitholes) half the people judging young mums got pregnant back then too they just had abortions and maybe the reason they’re so judgmental is they secretly regret it and are a little envious of the girls who kept their babies?

I did. Any other questions?

Meanwhile the unselfish people who are child free are funding everyone and getting nothing back in return! 25% off council tax does not really cut it.

@No5ChalksRoad If you were that bothered about over population then why didn't you stay child free yourself?

I was a teen in the 90s and knew ar least three girls who had babies before they were 16. One of the girls had three children by the time the rest of us left sixth form.

This was an area people would probably consider “nice”, as well.

I think statistically the number of teen pregnancies have actually dropped, haven’t they?

Oh, give over.

this poor planet is dying under the weight of excess human beings. As are myriad other species.

there is no shortage of people, all we need is less restrictive migration laws around the globe. and if humanity has to suffer a bit in order to reduce our population to less direly destructive levels, so be it.

stop kidding yourselves that you are doing the world a favour by producing offspring.

Do you know that Scandi tax bottom and middle income levels much higher than we do? and that there is no restrictions on access to services, e.g. subsidised childcare for all, not just low-middle earners?

It won't. It's going to be Brexit 2 - people who voted for it are mostly affected. Now those who go for protest vote for Reform will be mostly affected as well. Reform will only benefit those at the very top of the ladder.

Do you know that Scandi tax bottom and middle income levels much higher than we do? and that there is no restrictions on access to services, e.g. subsidised childcare for all, not just low-middle earners?

There I totally agree with you, there's systems that we can see work and aren't replicating here and it's the mindset of people sadly.

I’m fascinated why you think the far right will suddenly make it bonanza time for the working/middle classes - and very ironically a fair old amount who vote that way are more than happy to take advantage of the system at points it suits them too - plenty of over 70s moaning about the WFA who certainly didn’t need it but felt entitled to it , whilst owning their own homes outright and stuffed up ISAs - I fail to see why they should get it and my 27 year old son paying rent with his GF in London on totally average wages shouldn’t get it - personally I would find it ironic if a load of PIP receiving ( substitute different benefits) Reform voters suddenly found an awful lot of benefits going out the window - because at the moment they’re making totally uncosted suggestions based on fresh air !! Greens just as guilty too by the way from a different angle.

This is essentially the bitterness underneath PPs comments "I have self imposed X restriction on my life, by choice, and I'm unhappy with my choices. Everyone who doesn't self imposed this misery on themselves and who claims any support from the government that is there for that reason, and that I could access too if I wish, is wrong and evil. How dare they do what I want to do" 🥱