Don’t have more kids if you can’t afford them!

[SportMum1982]

I’m not a raving Tory! But honestly I would have loved more children!!! I would have loved 4 kids but I know we cannot afford 4 kids.

Why do people expect the state to pay for their children? Bar education though! If I’m being really cruel tell me, but I feel I did want more kids but stopped.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67999028

I’m going to be completely honest and say I don’t think we as a country have the cash to give to people who are well enough for full time work. If it was that transformative we wouldn’t have the record rates of unemployment due to disability that we have now. Equally I think it would be wise to plan for what if these children don’t grow into adults who can work full time. You don’t suddenly stop being disabled. We need to look ahead and not cling to the belief it will all magically resolve itself. The current projections are frightening.

It would made a huge difference if employers could be more accepting of those who are different and need accommodations. Disabled people are discriminated against in the work place. It’s time to open up and diversify the world.

My employer has plenty of huge accessible bathrooms, disabled parking and subsequently, we have quite a few physically disabled employees including those who are wheelchair users.

Saying "bollocks" every time someone offers an example of someone they know of abusing the system doesn't mean it isn't true. My brother's ex had three children (different dads, not that that's relevant). She has never worked since having the eldest. The eldest is now a mother of two before the age of 21 - again neither dad is on the scene. She has never worked. It's the same old scenario, generation after generation.

Would you rather they gave up work because they then couldn't afford the extra costs of being disabled? That would cost the country more.

@fatphalange i don’t struggle to believe what she’s saying though! You essentially earn more doing nothing than working jobs at minimum wage. And if you work you might also lose any support like daycare subsidies and such. The government is making it ‘easy’ to stay home- easier than working minimum wage jobs.

Can anyone really "afford" kids? Seriously? If everyone waited until they could "afford" it then nobody would ever have any and then the country really would be fucked!

Birth rates are declining in the UK, it's a serious problem for the future If not addressed! Childcare is this country is shocking, too expensive and there's not enough of it. They want parents to work but they can't afford to, not full time anyway. Then there's the issue of horribly low wages in this country, the minimum wage is not enough to live on without support from the government.

So, please tell me exactly what you mean by when parents can afford it? Is having kids a privilege only the rich get to enjoy now is it?

Yes, in an ideal world which you seem fortunate to live in. However, life happens and things go wrong. We had our kids, I was a teacher and he was earning £100k+ in finance and then he got a brain injury. Our life went to shit. We're not together anymore but he now relies on benefits and I raise my children (that we could afford and could have afford 5 more of) on a teacher's salary. I don't expect you to understand unless you've been through it, I certainly didn't think it would happen to me.

Another rephrase needed.

An elderly couple, one of whom is infirm, get attendance allowance/carers allowance to pay for a cleaner to keep their home safe and hygiene for them to live in.

Then why is it that a higher percentage of people were in work before these benefits were introduced?

Because more people are now disabled due to COVID etc?

You can work and claim PIP

It’s not due to covid. The increase has come from behavioural disorders like ASD/ADHD as well as anxiety (according to the Times - article out today).

Yeahrightyouarethen surely it's their own responsibility to plan for their old age? Or should no one have any responsibility for themselves? This is not a means tested benefit so the couple I was thinking of (not an unusual example) are barely home as they travel the world on cruises.

Wonder why the UK is so popular?

Did you read what she said? She's talking about child maintenance. And referring to it as 'playing the system'. Because her children's fathers are paying towards their children as they should.
Goady post it was anyway. Notice all the 'multiple children by different fathers' popping up now- they always do on threads like this. Saturated in misogyny.

The whole thing baffles me.

Having kids and expecting the state to pay for them/grandparents to provide childcare is beyond ridiculous but seems to have become the norm.

Please no!
Some of us are living near new ‘eco’ towns being built and it’s a nightmare for people and disastrous for our wildlife.
The population is set to explode exponentially in the next 10 years according to latest estimates.

Sorry to hear of your situation, but I honestly would have expected someone earning 100k a year to have critical illness cover.

The population is set to explode exponentially in the next 10 years according to latest estimates

@Yeahrightyouarethen because of immigration though

Which the gov needs due to ageing population

Can you envisage the workforce when the dc born today are entering it?

It'll be different in 18 to 22 years

Loads more AI etc

I’d be more concerned about what people will do and how we’d get taxes

I think you @ the wrong person

How can you increase taxes with a declining population?

Exactly. No man should be able to walk away from financially supporting his children. It's a scandal that we allow it here.

@Dacadactyl yep, £150k payout from insurance and £100k payout from work. Doesn't go far when you live in London. Also, the brain injury meant he needed carers for a while. I think that money lasted about 2 years. I never saw a penny of it, it went on the things he needed at the time and the kids and I have survived just fine with support from family and government systems.

@Dacadactyl what critical illness cover would you expect to pay out for years of lost earnings?

Also one of my friends had a form of cancer in her 20s, she cannot get life insurance/critical cover now except what work provides. Should she not have children?