Ok so here's a question....

I don't think our welfare system encourages people to work. I stood behind two young women with children in push-chairs in tesco's last year. One said "are you going to go back to work?". The reply was "it's not worth my while to look for work. I'd have to start paying all my rent and stuff again."

And I'm standing in the queue behind them with my 'value' everything, thinking "it's my sodding taxes from hard work that's paying her rent!"

agreed. our welfare state has gone too far the other way. we need something that will cover those who are genuinely in need, the elderly (who, currently, have contributed to NI since day one of the welfare state but seem to come off worse), the genuinely sick and those who are really in poverty. i don't think, speaking as a sahm, its feasible or necessary to force all parents back to work - my husband works and frankly we go without alot of stuff in order for me to be at home with the kids, in many ways we are penalised because we are married!!! we would be alot better off if he left and went to stay in a flat, i could sign off and we would have a much better standard of living, might even get a holiday. that sort of anomaly has got to stop. what has also got to stop is young girls who make themselves homeless, get pregnant and then expect to be looked after for ever without having contributed anything, we need to follow the example of the US who have stopped welfare etc and seen their teenage pregnancy rates fall dramatically. since i am on my soap box i will tell you what else we need to stop. those same young mums as classicrockchick saw in tescos going to their doctors and demanding calpol on prescription. grrrrr. i think i better stop now before i get really shot down in flames.

My view is that it should be made easier for women to go back to work after having had a baby. What this country need is affordable (subsidised)good childcare and highier salaries for typical female occupations. This would perhaps lead to fewer women staying at home claiming less bebefits earning money and paying taxes!
We need subsidised good childcare!!

oh god here's a can of worms opened !!!! As for childcare, I know someone who works part-time and only has to pay a childminder the very bare minimum (I'm talking around £5 per week), so really there is no excuse for that because the government are REALLY helping single parents.

It's absolutely ludicrous when you see these young girls (and not so young girls!) refusing to go back to bloody work cos "i'll have to pay for stuff" awww well that IS devastating, shame we didnt all think about living off the state and taking the easy way out eh!

America have it right for once, stop making it so damn easy for these happy slappers (sorry can of worms again) and make 'em pay their way, don't see why I should have to unless it's a genuine case!

I agree 100 % - although having said that- I am a stay at home mummy- ( my husband works ) so we pay taxes into the system, But If I wanted to go back to work I owuld receive no help, we calculated that it would cost more than I could comfortably earn, in Child care for 2 children- ok I would get help with costs- But we weighed all the options up and decided on me staying at home- which obviously won't/ can't be for ever. But in order for our decision to be cost effective- we have to buy own brand cheap stuff and watch what we spend- they should not be able to choose to claim benefits- we should be like USA only allowed to claim benefits/welfare for 5 years (in a whole lifetime) Makes you think huh?

think is about buying 'the cheap stuff' its only the 'same' stuff but with different labels. half the people in this country think that if something costs you a lot, means that it's of better quality ... FOOLS...it's just packaging and i've learnt the hard way. As far as I'm concerned I'll buy own brand cheap crap any day as long as it don't kill me, cos only one way it comes out after you've eaten it!!!

Makes me sick that if you can't be bothered to work, you get paid for it and the USA have the right idea....give it for so long then take it away......it makes EVERYBODY'S lives easier in the long run by strengthening the economy