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???

I'm outing you as, David Cameron, Bonquers

It'll be gruel and workhouses next.

Yes, of courseeeee!! The obvious alternative to allowing people who have never worked to enjoy six bedroom, 7 kid lifestyles that most working people could never afford is to stick them in the workhouse.
Do you genuinely not see a middle ground?

Yes Beau as do I. That poorly run economy doesn't just effect the poorest you know.

I have yet to see where I've said this woman's situation is ideal.

My middle-ground, I'm afraid, would be offering her, and those in similar positions, classes such as those I've mentioned, alongside others and by providing intensive individualised support to allow them to help themselves out of this trap.

Not by bashing them and saying they're all feckless, worthless, scroungers.

Oh and where did she mention she's never worked?

......and some training WITH at least some expectation of a job :)

Support like sure start?

Well in one of the papers she claims she cannot get a job as she has not worked for 20 years. Not sure quite how old she is but it certainly can't have been a long career!

Not necessarily, but yes, if they offered something of benefit, however, this government is cutting funding for support services and in turn, keeps individuals like this woman where they are.

Training like all the hundreds of free courses for the unemployed?

She said in the interview that she hasn't worked for fifteen years. She's 38, her eldest child is 17, so if she worked before she was born it was only for maybe 4 years at most, and then it looks as if she stopped working when she was pg with child 2, the 15 year old? Guessing this though. She said their home was repossessed so the husband must have had a job at some point, to buy a house. Not sure why neither father involved is unable to pay anything.

I'm sure you don't believe everything you read or hear in the media.

She did say on the vt, that the last time she worked was 15 years ago, so that in itself leads me to believe that she has, in fact, been in gainful employment.

She could downsize. No need to run a 6 bed house.

She could get rid of her car. But doesn't want to as she has the school run to do ya know!

Legs? Oh no can't possibly walk.

But someone who is working and cannot afford to keep the size of their house going generally downsizes.

Someone who is working and cannot afford a car generally sells it.

Sure start was running for years and hasnt done this womsn any good so hardly surlrising its been scrapped!

Courses are one thing, gaining paid employment is another.

If she moved to a 4 bed house her rent would drop and she would have more in her pocket even on £2k. But that would mean her kids sharing and that might be traumatic for them.

aren't a lot of you assuming she wants to change her situation? My impression from what i read was that she just wants more money? She may not want (or be prepared) to work or retrain?

X-post with Fellatio

Bonquers - firstly, what is your point here and secondly, what 'hundreds' of courses for the unemployed?

And...if there were all these courses, surely you'd agree with them?

To be fair, unless she lives in the very centre of town with easy access to everything then getting rid of her car is probably a false economy. To get 8 of them everywhere by bus will be ridiculously expensive.

pmsl at the trauma of kids sharing a room.

In fact she could have a 3 bed.

1 for her.
1 for boys
1 for girls.

Like the good old days.

Dreamingofsun,
Of course we want to discourage large families on benefits.
Of course we cannot keep paying more and more. However, you cannot take away a chunk of the money from existing claimants just like that without offering some support/education/advice/help.

I very much doubt people grow up looking forward to being on benefits. I don't understand why people assume the woman wants this type of life when they know absolutely nothing about her or her abilities or emotional state.
People have too many children for all sorts of reasons.
Not everyone is stable and intelligent enough to plan their life perfectly.

I do have some sympathy for her, she was married with 6 kids, mortgage etc and then her husband left her, she and kids became homeless due to house repossession, she has only had 1 further child whilst on benefits, it's not as if she has been constantly reproducing (unlike some) and expecting others to pay for them.

I definitely agree that this woman is in a catch 22 situation; the chances are that she will be worse off if she works (she said she has no qualifications?) so she is essentially trapped. The government reforms are costing more to the taxpayer and yet people are receiving less. I heard of one family in London who due to the HB cuts became homeless, their rent was £2000 pcm, council temporarily rehomed them in a hotel which costs a whopping £12,000 pcm!

Everyone is feeling the pinch these days, but I don't see MP's putting their second homes on the market!

Where does she have to get them to at great cost on the bus? They would prob have bus passes for school. Expect the primary is within walking distance. Wonder what sort of car she is running to take 8 people at a time. Can't be cheap owning a bus.

davsmum - i wasn't suggesting her child benefit for the current kids was removed, more that in future its limited to 2 and therefore she doesn't get any more if she had an 8th or 9th child - she potentially could have at least 3 more at her age.

i agree we cannot assume she wants this lifestyle, but neither can we assume she wants to change.