Paphos People

Sorry this is not Cyprus related but did anyone watch the programme last night on BBC1 about the man with 20 children in total to 3 different partners! He had 9 children living with him and his partner. He is epileptic and alcoholic and as well as having his rent and council tax paid he received £440 a week in benefit! Of course they always found money for the drink and both parents and a few of the teenagers all smoked like chimneys. By the end of the programme he had been in prison for drink driving (his 4th conviction) and served 5 weeks of a 16 week prison sentence, stayed off the alcohol for 5 weeks and was talking about having another child!

I was so wound up after watching it I couldn't sleep. Some might say it is an indivial choice how many children people have and to some extent I agree but not when they are expecting everyone else to keep them.

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Lyn

Tough times dont last long but tough people do

Not in China it isn't, you're only allowed 2 per family I think due to the population

I cannot understand why the government keep paying when the couple cannot keep the children that they have. They should be told that they either have sterilisation operations or all benefit will be withdrawn for further children.

A work friend's daughter had her first son at 17 years old and never even told the father that he had a son, the following year she had her second son and never even moved in to live with the man and two years later she got pregnant with twin boys with another man. She now lives in a four bedroomed semi with the rent fully paid for her, does not pay any rates and gets help with school meals for the children. She got a cheque for £1,000 when she had the twins to buy baby equipment with. She and the boys are always dressed in lovely clothes. She has never worked or had a wage ever and her eldest is 11 now. She is now getting a grant to buy his new school uniform to start senior school with.

My daughter is married with two children and has to pay for everything. Her and her husband work their socks off to make a decent living. She is now arranging the child care for the school holidays and worrying about it. Makes me so mad.

Jan

I know Jan it really makes my blood boil. I could quote quite a few families in the same position as your daughter and it makes you wonder who are the mugs. We had a family living ascross the road from us with 10 chilren and the house wasn't big enough so they were provided with a five bedroom house, people carrier etc.

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Lyn

Tough times dont last long but tough people do

Not sure you would get away with the sterilisation bit, but I agree with this general principle. You can't get a dog without a license, but there's nothing to stop you popping out kids like there's no tomorrow and having the taxpayer foot the bill - there really should be something in place not just to stop this but to make it less of an attractive option would be a start!

Maybe they should make a law saying "more than 3 or 4 & you don't get paid for anymore!"

At least that way the tax payer won't have to cough up for someone elses kids as it is at the moment

China have the best idea

Groucho Marx said when commenting upon a woman with 15 children "I like cigars but I take them out occasionally"!

explodingaardvark (name?)

Welcome to PP, look forward to reading more of your posts soon