Goodness me, have come back to this thread and find myself open mouthed at Frank. So, Frank, despite me partially sharing my story way way upthread, I thought I might expand and thus you can avail me of your opinion of how I ended up at the bottom of the pit you so despise! I am 46 years old, the mother (and registered carer) of a 4 year old boy and a 17 year old girl (who I might add is in further education and working in London at the weekends). I grew up in the Home Counties, in a large Edwardian house in a very affluent North London suburb. I was privately educated, in a Convent, no less. At 15 I secured my first Saturday job in Harrods. I completed higher education and started a lovely City career. A six year relationship (in which I didn't want to get married!) resulted in a pregnancy at 29 years old. I had my beautiful daughter, her father and I parted company when she was less than a year old. Two years later I married my husband (this must have been where it all went wrong and I turned all Jeremy Kyle). In 2007 my husband decided that I would be better off working for him in his business. I gave up my career and did just that. My husband then, inexplicably, started piling on the pressure as he decided he wanted to be a father after all these years. Indeed, he did such a fabulous job he scuppered contraception. I found myself pregnant at 41 and did not wish to continue with the pregnancy. My husband said he would leave if I did not. By now, so utterly dependent on him, I continued on. He left anyway. Our son was 2 1/2 years old, he had an affair with a widow (you know, one of the "deserving" in your opinion) whose husband had been dead for all of five seconds (in reality, my husband moved in five months after his funeral). He cut off all financial support, sacked me from the company, cut off utilities, sold my children's shares, cancelled phone contracts (and when he couldn't, committed fraud alongside OW), cancelled the car insurance, all so I KNEW he was "serious" about leaving. I found myself, literally overnight, with nothing, zero. The Citizen's Advice Bureau saved me. However, I then became benefit dependent overnight. In the meantime, my son was diagnosed with autism. I am now his carer. Do you think I like being in this situation? Do you think that this is what I wanted for my children, a career choice?! I have paid HUNDREDS of thousands in tax over the years...I refuse to feel guilty or apologetic about the situation I am in now. I am about to start retraining in order to get myself out of the hole I am in. I took my husband to court, self represented and won 100% of the marital assets and a joint lives nominal order. You can fuck the hell off if you think I am worthy of the contempt piled on by readers of the DailyFail and their ilk and you. How dare you make such huge judgemental generalisations of those who find themselves single parents, let alone the single parents on benefits the filthy scroungers. Fortunately for the merry widow my husband ran off with, she was largely provided for by the fact her husband was a public servant. My husband is currently licking his lips at the money he has at his disposal, while paying £150.00 a month "maintenance" for his little boy. I really do think you need to redirect your misplaced opinions to those who leave people like me in positions like this.