Earlier this week Prime Minister David Cameron took a swipe at feckless parents who expected to raise their children on state handouts.
The Prime Minister suggested it was wrong for the workshy to expect the taxpayer to fund their lifestyles without limit.
Speaking on ITV’s This Morning programme he said he wanted to change the ‘values’ of the nation to reverse the dependency culture that flourished under Labour.
He said: ‘The biggest change I want to make as Prime Minister is to change the values where if people do the right thing, work hard and try to support their families we reward them and if people do the wrong thing they get punished.’
And he said he shared the frustration of hard-working families who complain others have children they cannot afford, knowing the taxpayer will foot the bill.
Official figures shows almost 100,000 of those on benefits have four or more children, with more than 900 claimants having at least eight.
In many cases the claimants are entitled to a council house as well as benefit payments.
Mr Cameron stressed ministers are capping the amount of benefits a family can receive at £25,000 a year.
He added: ‘Should we do more to help people who want to work hard and do the right thing? Yes.
‘I get people saying “we waited before we got married until we could afford it, we waited till we could afford to have children, we waited and then we managed to get a house and I see someone down the road do none of those responsible things and they get put up in a council house, they have as many children as they want. They’re not thinking like I’m thinking”.’
His comments came just 24 hours after the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams accused ministers of presiding over a ‘quiet resurgence of the seductive language of “deserving” and “undeserving” poor’.
I agree that individuals should plan families around affordability, however sometimes this is out of our control and we have to support each other through difficult times. What does punishing people mean? Would it not be better for us to provide people with the support and avenues to come of benefits rather than taking the “Route of Punishment”?
I got married, after 5 years had my first child, only because we had paid our mortgage and could afford to have a child. We have then gone on to have our second child and I was able to take 1 year of work for we had saved to allow for that. Unfortunately, since then I have been unable to secure permanent work due to the decline in the economy and the lack of opportunities available. What is the Government doing to turn this around? Where is the investment in creating jobs for people to come off benefits to go into?
I have worked, securing fixed term and temporary contracts. In between, I’ve not been eligible for any support for I’m expected to use our pension savings. We still budget and do not live beyond our means. It would be nice to have some support for the contributions we have paid without question, for the last 21 years. I would really like have to a third child but I can’t, because what guarantees do I have that I can provide for my children going forward.
I don’t agree that we should make children suffer because there part of a large family, what we need is improved decision making through education for those who may not realise the financial cost of bringing up a family. We need to up skill and generate flexible jobs to give people hope and an opportunity to support themselves off benefits. Without these jobs, without benefits what black hole will people fall into?