Large families

Greatnan No, sorry I can't agree about any statistics about benefit fraud (which ones did you mean) How an anyone know how much benefit fraud there is?

You say "I know exactly when you joined", cumbs do you keep a dossier on all of us or just me?

"It was insulting to imply that I had a closed mind - since you quoted me exactly it was obviously directed at me." No, it was not directed at you. that does rather sound like paranoia to me. I have said more than once that I think it is sad that some feel it necessary to take sides (I believe you made a comment about the other side) and that we should, with all our years of experience, be able to come up with solutions rather than having closed minds. I really don't see that as personal to anyone.

"How open is your mind? I have made some concessions in the light of various posts - it would be nice to have some reciprocation." I don't think I have demonstrated a closed mind but if you think I have please do tell me where and I will explain my comments to you.

I do not think I believe people have the 'right' to have a large family!

I think people have a responsibility to care for the family they have. If an unforseen situation arises that makes it hard to care for the family then benefits are there to help to protect the children and or to help out in a crisis.

In reality many children are born into families who have not thought through the responsibility they are taking on and this obviously creates a problem.

We could try to plan for the future by announcing now, loud and clear, that in x years time benefits pertaining to children will only be paid under certain circumstances.

The sole purpose in change being to make sure that enough funds are available for benefits to be paid to those in genuine need.

A good PR/ communications/advertising programme could be set up to make sure changes are well known across all (7??) strata of society. Changes would not apply retrospectively. The power of media and advertising could achieve this if there was a will to do so!!

However this has to go hand in hand with increasing a suitable job market and access to high quality childcare affordable at the point of use.

greatnan I have spent some time trying to find the paper(s) that have branded all large families as evil and have come up with nothing. As I would really like to complain to the editors I would really appreciate it if you could tell me who they are. Like you, I deplore needless sensationlism and feel that it should be remarked on. I await your response.

As I have said before, the only comments deploring large families I found were the two that have hit the headlines in recent weeks, and they were justified IMO.

You have to wonder just who will be to blame next?
from immigrants to benefit scroungers, to too many children, to too many rooms ,to too many pensioners ! Would it not be too many rich bankers and private landlords making a killing and getting away with it.
I am just waiting for some bright spark to come up with bring back the workhouses. Makes me so mad to see what has happened to our grandchildrens futures.

Nanann you cynic you! bankers and private business a problem surely not!