to think the tax credits system is not designed to support people that have as many children as they fancy and expect the state to pick up the tab?

[LadyLazyLongLegs]

An acquaintance has just announced she is pregnant with her fifth child. Her 4 children are by 2 separate fathers, and #5 is by a different father again. Her partner has a job in which he is unlikely to earn much more than the minimum wage. She doesn't work, and says they are heavily reliant on tax credits and housing benefit. Yet they are having baby #5, so effectively expecting that the tax credits system will just pick up the tab, as she has made several comments about how the tax credits will go up when #5 arrives.

Someone else I know who also says they are heavily reliant on TCs has recently had baby#3 and would like baby#4 in the near future. Again she says they can afford it as their tax credits will go up. The only working income coming into their home is that from her husband's 16 hours a week job in a shop, everything else is benefits.

What I'm trying to say is, those of us that support ourselves with no reliance on benefits have a cut off point of children that we can afford and we stop at that point. We stuck at 3 as that's all we can afford even though I would have liked one more. I feel that those that keep having child after child, totally reliant on tax credits, are abusing the system.

YABU to think the state provides OP. If our job hunting after DH's redundancy doesn't turn up some luck soon we will be bankrupt, homeless and have DDs taken away.. Does that make you happy OP?

I think "child benefits" should be capped at two, to encourage people to think before having more.

hECUBA Sorry to hear of your situation, I hope something turns up soon.

I only have 2 BTW.

Do people realy have more children for the child benefit, it's about £14 a week isn't it

OI! YOU IN THE BACK!!

QUIET DOWN! I CAN'T HEAR MY FLAT SCREEN TELLY OVER ALL THIS BASHING!

Moomin No idea, but it may make people think twice before having more if there was a cap.

I am sad. I haven't been on abroad, or even on holiday, in a few years now.

I can't even afford my special brew and faaagggss anymore.

OP
Are you really self sufficient then? I mean do you not get child benefit? Free schooling etc? Did you go private to have your children?

Just wondering because if you didn't you are highly likely not to be self sufficient and likely to be being supported by very high earner and child free workers.

Just saying!

Yonwhale do you really think people who are unemployed etc are living it up boozing and having great holidays?

I don't think anyone who has to manage on benefits has to justify themselves to the Op who's 'aquaintances' are almost certainly made up just to start a benefit basher thread.
Why those aquaintances would give her all the financial details of their lives when she is such a judgemental cow is beyond me,
And for all those happy, hardworking people that back her up, just think of yourselves as the lucky ones.
It takes just one redundancy, or a divorce or an illness and you may be in the same boat.
Then I'd laff.
And how the fuck do you spell aquiantence?

Beagle

A.C.Q.U.A.I.N.T.A.N.C.E or - in this instance - I.M.A.G.I.N.A.R.Y F.R.I.E.N.D.S

I was going to write a reasonable response to the OP about why neither DP or I work and we both claim benefits.

But fuck it.

Of course it is wrong to keep on having children that you can't afford. It is foolish, shortsighted and irresponsibe. All that said I can quite see why people do it. If the government is prepared to pay then it is very tempting to have another child if you really, desperately want one. There are very few times in life that people on a low income get much luck/much of what they want. It is understandable that they take the break if it is there.

Many people though have DC when employed and solvent then are thrown on the scrap heap. The children still exist and need to be fed etc.

It's not just about benefits though is it?

If everyone has 4 children then population would DOUBLE in a generation.

Someone has to have babies.
Most of us, working parents, don't have the time to raise 4 kids or are willing to compromise our lifestyle, so might as well pay someone else to keep up the population numbers.

;-)

hecuba No, I was being sarcastic. As was the original poster who mentioned it!

But I really haven't been on holiday in a long time, that bit's true!

Anyone see the front of the sun yesterday? Something about a woman making up that she had ten children and saying the two she had were disabled to cheat benefits?

Just checking yonwhale, We haven't been on holiday for a few years either. I don't drink or smoke either.

YANBU. the west already uses more than its fair share of the worlds resources. we dont need more people.

7 billion already.

general state support for the first 2.

Have some facts:

In 2011 - there were nearly 6.8 million families claiming tax credits

4.9 million of them were in work (1.2 million of which were single parents)

1.5 million families were not working (1 million of which were single parents)

For non-working families, there were 84,000 families with 4 children and 43,000 with 5 or more.

For working families, there were 122,000 families with 4 children and 40,000 with 5 or more.

How do people think about the amount of children they have in a financial sense? Do you think about how much it'll cost, or is it a more emotional thing?

(I'm thinking for example, if you know the childcare costs are astronomical already for the ones you have but you go on and have more).

I would quite like a third but know financially it isn't an option so I have the contraceptive implant. We figured that would buy us time for DH to get his appointment for a vasectomy and then to get the all clear.

Thanks for answering Hecuba! it's the same for me, all I think about is the cost and the implications job wise :(

We changed our life style,

When we decided ttc ds3 we knew that childcare costs would take almost all of my wages so we sold up, bought in a cheaper area and I became a shm.

Unfortunately ds3 was born 8 weeks early so dp had to take quite a bit of time of work, I became pg with ds4 straight after but lost him at 20 weeks which resulted in more time off as did dps dad dying

Dp is self employed so taking nearly 5 months off work last year has resulted in us being eligible for tc for the first time ever.

However dp has just received a new contract so tc will stop again now, we've received £400.

Some people won't be able to sell though due to high mortgage payments, negative equity.

If someone is on a low wage they will probably have no way of cutting down on out goings so might not beable to afford more children.

We were lucky