To feel a little sorry for the 7 children benefits Mum.

[MilgramsLittleHelper]

www.itv.com/daybreak/hottopics/benefits-mum/

Is just seems like another bit of benefit bashing to me.

I know she shouldn't have had children she couldn't afford, but what hope of improving her lot???

zebra - how do you know she chose to have all those children?

She was raised and continues to live in a free country that provides free education, free contraception and free access to abortion. She made her choices.

zebra - see that forced sterilisation? I'll be right behind you in your campaign, as soon as you show everyone that you're a good example!

I don't produce lots of children for a taxpayer funded lifestyle, there's no reason for me to be sterilised.

The CSA should be overhauled... and the feckless father brought to account. The older children should be strongly encouraged to either (a) get a job... any job and contribute to the home or (b) look after their siblings whilst Mum goes out to work.

Anyone who says she might not have been able to get access to contraception is clearly bonkers and I think it's an excuse to start imagining here that her ex husband made her have seven children. Somewhere along the line there is a sense of entitlement with certain people thinking that all they have to do is have babies and the State will pay for them. The benefits system is for those in need, those who temporarily fall on hard times, those who are struggling through illness or disability. It's not a lifestyle choice and the sooner a Government gets to grips with it, the better.

Ashoething.
Abortion is not a choice to many people.
I don't know if she 'chose' to have 7 kids - I don't know if she believes in abortion or whether abortion would have been an option for her!
I don't know ( and you certainly don't) much at all about this woman.

If it is PROVED she deliberately had 7 kids so she could live a life of 'luxury' at our expense then I will judge her to be a scrounger.

However- as it is not yet proved - deciding she is a scrounger can only be described as a stupid and reckless judgement.

grumpy - your an inspiration, and amazingly kind for sharing, because realistically, the majority of posters (on both sides) will have massive admiration for how you've turned life around but there are some very vile people with crazy beliefs who won't be as supportive. for you

And I'm not a simpleton for imagining there are people out there who yes, decide to have more and more children for the £££. Look at that ghastly Mick whatshisname with the awful fire - he openly admitted that 17 children later.

Helliebean. So that means its ok to assume everyone in that situation is like Mick?
Why not wait until you know. Trouble is - people do not want any facts or evidence - they can 'just tell' can't they?

zebra - you want to force it for others so you show me how it's done and I'll back your campaign.

Again, I'm going to suggest you go have a wee sneaky at how this woman's situation is a red flag for professionals in the DA field.

Well it will be PROVED she is a scrounger if she does not adapt her lifestyle to suit the shortfall in the benefit change.

As said, she can downsize her house
get rid of the car.
start some re-training
Take a job
Encourage the elder child to get into work
Have the elder child look after siblings whilst she does a few hours.

Once we see evidence of any of the above, then no, we cannot call her a scrounger. But I think we will be waiting a loooooooooong time.

Anyone who is working and renting/paying a mortgage and their income dropped would certainly be looking at that list and see what they could do. Not go straight to sell their story to a paper with the woe is me attitude she seems to be portraying.

feegle so people who happen to disagree with your point of view are "vile" and "crazy"? Wow how reasoned and adult of you

Many people on here support removing child benefit from people earning £50k or more (which is £35k after tax) but they are against removing benefits from those "earning" £35k through benefits (when you include things like free school meals, free prescriptions for 7 children this would add up to approx £35k worth of benefits). Why do you think the children of those in work earning £35k after tax should suffer but the children of those on equivalent benefits should be protected?

There are a very very very few people in this country who could support 7 children with both parents working.

With that in mind they were irresposible. Not for one moment did they think what if....because the state is their safety net.

See Beau - this is where we're not in agreement.

You, and others like you, jump to conclusions. You judge and damn and look down your nose.

I try (and others here on this thread obviously do too, thank fuck for humanity) say, it may well be all those horrible things you say. This woman may be a scrounger, she may have chosen this lifestyle BUT....

.... I am using my professional knowledge of women in similar positions, along with my empathy and open mind to say lets look at what else could explain this. Lets see how we can help people like this, lets support and encourage people to allow them to make positive changes.

Ashoe - not at all, just the vile, crazies. That's all.

I also have professional knowledge of the teens these women produce. I have heard all the 'when I leave school, I can claim blah blah and get a place of my own etc' Not a mention of work. Work does not even come into it. They see what their parents get for nothing and a whole new generation is ready to go down the same route.

Anyone who is working and renting/paying a mortgage and their income dropped would certainly be looking at that list and see what they could do
---------------

Really? would they? Then why are people going into bankruptcy for overspending on credit cards and loans - People who had good jobs and salaries but just want more and more or to maintain a lifestyle they have got used to.
Of course many people would downsize or cut back but don't say 'Anyone' Don't assume because someone is working they must have excellent morals and are incapable of being reckless.

There are some vile posts on this thread.

WTF has happened to this place?

i do feel sorry for the children and i feel sorry for her not getting any support from her ex partner (s)

but sadly we do have people who just want a big family, there is no or little thought about what happens if you were to loose your job, become ill, partner is ill and so on. the larger you family the more responsibility you have and you have to look at the picture which many fail to do.

we as a society have become about well it is what i want and be more responsible

Orwellian.

Firstly all dc are entitled to free prescriptions anyway. Fsm only have any value if you take them. I know several people including myself at one point who never claimed free entitlement.
If parents are earning over 35k their dc will hardly be suffering, and your figures for 35k benefit don't add up.

And so don't you think you have a responsibility to those young people to try to inspire them to realise their potential?

You're writing them off. This type of attitude you're describing is very much cultural. These young people often don't realise they can be something more!

The tide has turned usual-people are fed up of funding benefits as a lifestyle choice is all.

Davsmum.. I would never assume that everyone on benefits had lots of children for the £££. Someone said up-thread that NO-ONE has lots of children for the money... I said that isn't strictly true because of Mick whatshisname. We all know there are people out there who do. Now whether this woman is one of those, I have no idea.

And I agree with BeauNidle... she needs to prove she is prepared to do something. Yes, she needs encouragement, she is probably in a downward spiral of negativity and I have some sympathy for her. But I found parts of her interview grating... she insisted she wanted the older ones to have a good work ethic (unlike her) but yet did nothing to push them out the door and accepted they could just be there doing nothing.

We should encourage and support people to make positive changes but they have to want those changes in the first place and maybe they have to put up with a bit of hardship and change to get themselves on the path of a better life in the future.

It is the norm for these families. And very sad.
Change is def required. They need to be educated that this is not the norm, and that you have to work during your life and look after yourselves and provide for your children. Once they stop all these willy nilly automatic handouts and the next generation realise that they have to actually get off their backsides and earn a living, this country will be a better place for the younguns.

Not so long ago a 4 bedroom council house was pratically unheard of. You stopped having children when you could afford no more. Now we are building 5 6 7 bedroom houses to accomodate, and people are expecting it. Ridic.

Usual - the tide hasn't turned completely.

Some people are vile, ignorant, and some are even a leetle beet crazy but some are trying to offer balance, education, fact, option and solution.

We have one child. We both work. We'd love another child but will struggle to afford it.

I feel for her kids, but not for her.

Yep because daring to have an opinion that differs from yours feegle makes me "vile,ignorant and crazy". Really?