Has austerity stopped people from having so many kids?

[malificent7]

I am a single mum ona low income and im on Universal credit.
I am used to the steteotype of single mums churning out kids. Im not planning to have any more as im squeezed to the bone as it is.
So here is the burning question for all the benefit bashers... has it worked?

Sounds like you're in the mood for a bit of a rumble today, OP!

Has auterity stopped people from having so many kids? No. As has always been, some will continue to have as many as they want (or don't want as the case may be) and some will cut their cloth according to their measure and stop when finances (or want for more) has been reached.

In reality and recognising the huge generalisation I'm about to make, if someone is solely reliant on social welfare as were the generations before them, austerity isn't on their radar. They'll keep on keeping on as long as they see fit.

It will have stopped some but not all.

It should be the state of the environment, as well as their financial problems, that stops people from having so many kids but hey when has common sense figured in emotions?

Hopefully.

There are a range of social changes that have reduced the birthrate, I don't think austerity can claim a huge amount of the credit/blame.

Unreachably high house prices, and wanting to live comfortably within my means have stopped me having more children. 2 children fit in my 2 bed. I can't afford a 3 bed and to have another child would compromise the lifestyle of the two I have, so I won't have more children. I could move further away or somewhere cheaper but this is the choice I made.

Well that woman in Morecambe is on baby 19 so clearly not ... I think it's probably stopped some low income families from trying for a 3rd or 4th but if you accidentally get pregnant again then needs must.

Kaniel Congrats on being sensible!

I can't get over why so many people are having 4 kids close together at the moment and not coping very well with them , surprise surprise

I blame the Beckhams

Finances mostly stopped me having a bigger family, rather than the government's austerity policies per say. Lack of pay rises, housing costs etc rather than access to benefits. Even if the government hadn't capped the number of DC you can claim child tax credits I probably still wouldn't.

I'm permantly knackered with 3, 2 under 5 are hard work I cant imagine coping with more but in theory we could afford it.

Non issue for me now as I got spade after no 3

Gowgirl I got spade after no 3 Good for you

Yes, we've had no money for a while. Both in good jobs before the recession, can't get similar work now. We're poor-ish, but happy.
We weren't sure about kids, but we're delighted when I got pregnant. But then we had a loss. It's forced us to look at our financial situation in terms of children. I'd love to try again, but it's a factor. I can't understand folk who say "oh money is the last thing you need to worry about". But surely having a family is expensive?

Its not just financial costs though, people don't take into account mental health, time with existing children or cost to the body. Even getting a sitter for a couple of hours to grab dinner with dh would be harder with another child.
Dnephew lives with us at the minute and everytime he wakes in the night or has a grizzly day (10 weeks old) I breath a big sigh of relief that his mum can deal with it and he's not mine!
Quite happy to take the cuddles though

Hasn't stopped my ex. In fact, he even planned another before the tax credit change so he could ensure he got the extra benefits, despite the fact that his partner had just started college with a view to finally getting a job (she's never worked). He definitely can't afford the five kids he's got and yet he runs a car, never eats at home and I've not had any maintenance for four months. Pretending to live with his parents with two of his children certainly eases his financial burden .

At least he's your ex delilahsomeone elses problem now...

I admit i am in a goady mood but the general election has driven ne to it!

Journalist

If you are asking whether pay freeze and decreasing real income has meant those in work may have changed plans then yes, but I do not think that is anything new as people have Leah's considered what they can provide and what they deem to be appropriate for their income. If you asking whether benefit cuts have influenced then number of children they choose to have thence would also assume that there would have been some correlation between austerity and number ofchildren. I do not see this as a problem of concern.

Unreachable house prices are having a real impact on my friends in their late 20s to mid-30s in the South East and London. People who would have had 2 children are stopping at 1, and others are not having any children at all because a) they can't afford the security of a home of their own, and b) they can't afford to rent more than a one bedroom flat. They also need two incomes and can't afford to move out of central London because that would involve a long commute for both parents and unaffordable childcare (which in any event isn't readily available for the 8am - 7.30pm time that they would need to be out of the house including commute).

I don't think austerity has had an impact, but house prices are going to cause a huge issue with working parents of my generation having fewer children.

Unfortunately @Gowgirl as long as he still owes maintenance and continues creating more children he is very much my problem as it impacts on my ds. My ds has only just got his own bed after having to share one with his half brother for years. Priorities a bit skew whiff me thinks!

I think the birth rate for teenage pregnancies had dropped a lot but I don't have figures to back that up..