Won't somebody please think of the children?

[ivanava]

We're back to square one now. Where is the evidence that people are having children to claim benefits?

 

You don't think that when people are planing a family they don't consider all the benefits they will be entitled to, many would choose not to have a child if they new that they had it to support on their own hard work alone.

[I1L2T3]

You don't think that when people are planing a family they don't consider all the benefits they will be entitled to, many would choose not to have a child if they new that they had it to support on their own hard work alone.

 

Evidence! Where is it?

[ivanava]

Evidence! Where is it?

 

Do you have children?

[unbeliever]

Evidence! Where is it?

 

What kind of evidence would you like?

Many of us have met such people. We have witnessed this behaviour. That's not just evidence, it's proof.

Some of us are already convinced by the anecdotal evidence. Prove us wrong if you can.

You're actually asking for statistics to demonstrate the scale of the problem. Feel free to look it up if you like.

 

I admit that the premise of the OP was that this is a real and serious problem. You're free to disagree, but that wasn't really the point of the OP.

[I1L2T3]

Do you have children?

 

None of your business

 

---------- Post added 06-05-2014 at 21:59 ----------

 

What kind of evidence would you like?

Many of us have met such people. We have witnessed this behaviour. That's not just evidence, it's proof.

Some of us are already convinced by the anecdotal evidence. Prove us wrong if you can.

You're actually asking for statistics to demonstrate the scale of the problem. Feel free to look it up if you like.

 

I admit that the premise of the OP was that this is a real and serious problem. You're free to disagree, but that wasn't really the point of the OP.

 

You haven't been reading the thread. I don't deny this happens. I'm questioning the scale of it. What is the scale of the problem?

[unbeliever]

Evidence! Where is it?

 

Okay fine.

Here's some statistics from the ONS. I'm not concerned just with single parents but...

 

The current unemployment rate is 7%.

40% of single parents are unemployed. Simplistically, that would imply that 33% of single parents are unemployed by choice. Of course it's more complicated than that as being a single parent limits the work you can take on, but still...

 

That's from the Office for National Statistics "Working and Workless households" table P, 2013.

 

Have a look at the whole document, then come back here and tell us the problem is not significant.

[ivanava]

None of your business

 

I will assume you do and assume you did what most people do and that is plan them, and assume during your planing stage you considered your financial situation.

[unbeliever]

I will assume you do and assume you did what most people do and that is plan them, and assume during your planing stage you considered your financial situation.

 

I'm gathering statistics. I think we can win this one without going ad hominem.

 

Here are the statistics on the "Sure start grant" from 2009-10. I think it's since been abolished. This is a grant of £500 which was paid to new mothers in receipt of means tested benefits on a low income.

Total payout for a single year: £140,000,000 in 274,000 grants.

 

www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN05860.pdf‎

 

Also, here is the ONS report I referred to in my last post.

 

Not all of these people are unemployed. Not all got pregnant for the benefits.

But they are all guilty of having a child they could not support.

If even a small fraction of these we're pregnancies contrived to gain benefits, it's a huge problem.

[JOHN HABS]

We're back to square one now. Where is the evidence that people are having children to claim benefits?

 

Take a walk around Sheffield City Centre any day of the week and in particular Saturday,

see how many teenage girls you spot pushing prams.....isn't that evidence enough ?

 

Once upon a time, a couple having children was done out of love - teenage girls now see it

as ' my mate has one, I want one ' and in having kids know they will escape having to work for a living, and will get an easy ride in obtaining council housing ( help with rent and council tax )

and all other associated benefits.

[Bonzo77]

Take a walk around Sheffield City Centre any day of the week and in particular Saturday,

see how many teenage girls you spot pushing prams.....isn't that evidence enough ?

 

Once upon a time, a couple having children was done out of love - teenage girls now see it

as ' my mate has one, I want one ' and in having kids know they will escape having to work for a living, and will get an easy ride in obtaining council housing ( help with rent and council tax )

and all other associated benefits.

 

These "teenage girls", did you stop and ask them how old they were? They could have been in their 20's? My mother had me when she was 21. Most of my friends have similar age parents.

 

Or, did you just think, they're all single, unemployed and teenagers?

 

Your post just highlights the fact that you're narrow minded.

 

---------- Post added 07-05-2014 at 00:48 ----------

 

Okay fine.

Here's some statistics from the ONS. I'm not concerned just with single parents but...

 

The current unemployment rate is 7%.

40% of single parents are unemployed. Simplistically, that would imply that 33% of single parents are unemployed by choice. Of course it's more complicated than that as being a single parent limits the work you can take on, but still...

 

That's from the Office for National Statistics "Working and Workless households" table P, 2013.

 

Have a look at the whole document, then come back here and tell us the problem is not significant.

 

http:// http://falseeconomy.org.uk/blog/tuc-poll-finds-that-support-for-benefit-cuts-depends-on-misconceptions