to think that if single parents get benefits to SAH then so should co-hab parents?

[angelswithdirtyfaces]

If its ok for single parents to choose to SAH (on benefits) then parents co-haibiting should have this choice too?

Nothing anybody else says will get through to people like you.

I am off now because I can not be bothered to try and make you see the other side of the story anymore.

Its halarious how you think there is something wrong with my life! I'm sorry that you are green - there is a lot of that on MN today.

I feel sorry for anybody who is struggling to make a difficult choice in difficult circumstances.

Unlike you I do not have such a chilling lack of compassion for other people's unfortunate circumstances that I would ever say "well as long as I'm alright".

You must be getting an awful lot of CA with 4 children. Perhaps you would like to give it back to the government as you're not earning yourself and your four children and all those births must have been quite a drain on your local nhs.

Good Point Liffey. Yes, also seeing as you don't work, who is actually paying for all the facilities you use as Liffey says the NHS, any council subsidised leisure centres, the library etc. Even the roads you drive on and the paths you walk need maintaining by our taxes. What exactly are you yourself contributing to our society?

She is contributing LOADS to our society. She is bringing up 4 children.

"You should support yourself if you are a single parent and can. There should not be a choice"

So, on the one hand you are saying that if you CAN, you should support yourself and on the other hand, you are saying that 'there should be no choice". I think you are 'halarious' and can't spell!

oh and for the record, I'm not a SAHM and I am certainly not green!

I mean't financially beansmum as she has issues with the financial contribution of single parents.

She has issues fullstop. But I know what you meant, I'm just pointing out that although single SAH mums don't contribute financially they can contribute in other ways. By raising happy, healthy children for example.

should be full stop shouldn't it? That is going to annoy me now.

People on benefits have to pay council tax too. Which is weird actually, I have to pay the council with money that the government has given me, surely there is a more efficient way of doing it.

If you receive CB your stamp gets paid, it's called home duties so you don't loose out on a state pension, if there is one when we retire.

angelface you choose to think what you like, that doesn't mean you are either correct or well informed. I asked you several questions - would you care to answer thoses questions? If you don't want to answer the question I have asked fair enough but to simply ignore the questions is why I have come back and asked again. Thank you.

LOL. Pot, kettle, black. I think that's why my first response to this thread was fuck off.

I'm not sure this is a productive discussion.

The OP's argument (such as it is) rests on the fact that staying on benefits should not be a lifestyle choice. This is presumably because being on benefits is a drain on the exchequer.

I agree with this in principle and I think that there is the added dimension that living on benefits does necessarily mean living in poverty and living in poverty has some fairly extreme effects particularly on children.

But the reality for many people is that they fall on bad times. For every dimwitted teenager who "chooses" to get pregnant to live on benefits and get written up in the Daily Mail, there are thousands of people for whom life has dealt harsh blows who are just doing the best that they can.

Very few women, the OP included, earn enough to support a household and adequate childcare.