TTC while on benefits?

[amie-leigh]

this is something i have been thinking about for a while and would like to hear others views on it
just to make it clearer i do not mean an ooppsie baby (unplanned) or those who found them selves on benefits because they lost their jobs, i mean those who are on benefits with no desire to find work but are actively trying to conceive a child

both my BIL and SIL are raising their families on benefits while trying to have more kids
SIL has 3 kids (age 4, 1 and 3months) and is actively trying to have more kids because her view is she will keep getting paid for having them

this is not a benefit bashing thread as i know from first hand experience what its like to live off benefits (my OH was made redundant when morgan was a few months old)

 

[Blah11]

I think its wrong. you have no business ttc a child you cant provide for. children need more than just love.

 

[sophxx]

i think its wrong to if you cant provide for your kids and are not even trying then you shouldnt be given money for them x

 

[special_kala]

I think its disgusting to TTC whilst on benefits.

Though if someone is on benefits for a legitimate health reason which means they can not work but are able to raise kids then I can understand why they would TTC as not being able to work is out of their control

but to TTC and just not bother to work is wrong

 

[v2007]

Nope, it shouldnt happen.

I think its disgusting.

V xx

 

[staycutee]

What if the mother is already a SAHM whose partner works but the woman gets benefits? Or do you mean if the couple are both on benefits?

 

[freckleonear]

I think it's wrong to live off benefits yourself if you're capable of working, let alone bring children into the situation. Benefits are for those who cannot work or are looking for work, not for those who choose not to! Wherever possible, every family should be supported by one or more earners.

Having said that, my second child was conceived while neither of us were working. Hubby was off work sick and I was his carer and SAHM to our son. At the time the hospital thought that hubby had a brain tumour and his doctor told him to write a will and prepare himself not to have long to live. Hubby desperately wanted another child and so our daughter was born. Since then I do a little bit of work from home and hubby is preparing to launch his own business that will enable him to work around his health problems. I still feel incredibly guilty that we were completely on benefits at the time, but it was an unusual situation and hopefully hubby will have many years of working hard ahead of him to make up for that.

 

[NuKe]

I'm currently on employment and support allowance as I'm not able to work atm. My OH works full time (usually around 50+ hrs a week) and we planned this baby. I don't see a problem with it.

 

[babybaillie]

I think what other ppl decide to do is there own business. But this is what david cameron is trying to stop. I think it would be silly to try at this point when hes cutting everything he can and the future is uncertain benefits wise

 

[morri]

Some people have a strange logic. I mean those that just have more kids to get more money(it does exist at least in Germany) Sure you get more money with more kids, but what they fail to see is that each kid more costs money too.

This is luckily not the rule though.

 

[amie-leigh]

I'm currently on employment and support allowance as I'm not able to work atm. My OH works full time (usually around 50+ hrs a week) and we planned this baby. I don't see a problem with it.

i don't mean like your situation because your OH is working and providing for your family it just so happens that you qualify for benefits

i should of made it clearer that i mean where the couple are both claiming benefits and have no intention of either of them working because they are too lazy to get a job

 

[annawrigley]

I think its a bit facepalmy when people pop out one after another JUST to continue getting benefits (cos you don't have to work until they're 7 here do you?!), but I'd hardly say it was disgusting Bit strong, there are lots of disgusting things happen in this world and I don't see people having children as one...

 

[smelly07]

no people shouldnt have children unless they can pay for them.
We are stopping at two children and a big reason for that is finacial and my partner works full time and i work part time, why should we then pay for people on benefits to have children or more and more children....its annoying!

 

[Scamp]

I think its wrong. you have no business ttc a child you cant provide for. children need more than just love.

Couldn't of said it better myself

I understand that some people really want kids, i do, but I also work my arse off and so does Mike so that we are able to provide for our kids when the times comes and not just expect everyone else to pay for us.

 

[special_kala]

I think they should stop CB and CTC after your second child.

 

[summer rain]

I think it depends; what if a family are going through a temporary bad situation financially but have solid plans to work in the future; perhaps the husband or wife are doing some correspondence studies aiming towards that; and they have fertility issues so its 'now or never' so to speak with TTC; I think that is a world away from deliberately making a lifestyle out of living on benefits forever. Also I don't think they should stop CB and CTC after the second child because it may well mean innocent children do lose out on things they need; it is not their fault if their parents are on benefits or a lower income.

 

[smelly07]

No obviously its not the childrens fault at all............but just say there were no such things as benefits....no one got any help not even ctc or cb..........do you honestly think these people wouldnt be working or keep having children..???

I honestly think if you cant afford bringing children into the world without relying on benefits you shouldnt be having them full stop. Its the parents reponsibilty to look after children they choose to bring into the world not mine.

 

[summer rain]

Circumstances change; I sure hope that you never end up in a situation where you and/or your OH cannot work due to circumstances completely beyond your control. At the moment there is something called a 'recession' even previously well paid professionals who didn't need any CB or CTC are now living on food parcel handouts and struggling to pay their rent or mortgage. It could happen to anyone.

 

[ShanandBoc]

What about ones on benefits that accidently fall pregnant?

Should they not keep the child? Just curious

 

[smelly07]

I think we are talking about people ON benefits that keep on having children and neither parent intends to work.....right?

but i dont think people should PLAN pregnacies relying on benefits to help bring up the child either jmo!