Should teenage mothers have their benefits removed and/or restricted?

[-:Undertaker:-]

Should teenage mothers have their benefits removed and/or restricted?

The so-called '40 Group' of Tory MPs are urging the Prime Minister, David Cameron, to bring in tougher conditions on housing benefit for teenage mothers. The group has claimed that the present system whereby free housing is provided by the council upon a child being born simply encourages young teenage women to have children as a way to climb the benefits ladder and that in order to sort out this creeping welfarism - the government ought to be tough and start restricting certain benefits such as automatic free housing. The full report, backed by Tory MPs in marginal seats, is being seen as a masterplan for the 2015 Conservative manifesto and as an attempt to fend off Nigel Farage's UKIP - the full report and it's other policy recommendations can be seen here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23309095

So what do you think? should teenage mothers have their benefits docked or restricted or are the government unfairly treating the most 'vunerable' and worst off in society simply to score political points? and are the Conservative Party serious about solving this problem? (if you view it as a problem that is)

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The debate is open to you and many thanks to Marketing for suggesting this topic for debate.

[Daltron]

We have a similar situation here in Australia, where as welfare payments for teen mothers are significantly higher than those without children and it actually encourages teenage girls in low socio economic areas to pump out babies so they can get the payments.

Personally I don't think they should have any sort of payment or housing restricted because once they are in the situation of having a child there is not much they can do unless they want to give it away. I think the central problem is educating these women into what they are setting themselves up for in the long term. If a teenage girl wants to have a child and is fully aware of the restrictions this will place on the next 10-15 years of her life then kudos to her and she should go for it if she wants, but I think so many women don't understand the long term picture. Rather than the government saying they will enhance or cut these payments in your country, I think they should (although they never would because it would probably not gain a whole lot of votes) create compulsory educational programs through school systems which focus on the positives and negatives of having a child and.

Maybe an appropriate solution would be for the government to set a national bench mark in which when the socio economic status of an area is below point x, all schools in that zone must run a 2 week program z where all students must participate.

I don't know much about your political parties being in Australia, however my short answer to this is the government should not cut funding or resources to teen mums, but make everyone much more aware of the strains these sort of decisions place on individuals and show that usually prolonging the set up of a family is more beneficial for a stage in life when someone has a well determined career path and stable income which won't cost tax payers money.

[Aiden]

Well, if it was up to me I'd kill 4 billion people for the good of the planet but it's not going to happen... and people tend to find this weird... lol wut?

anyway

i think they should just keep it normal unless everyone else's change...

[iMattster]

Yes. They reproduce to get the money then treat the kids like dirt. End it.

[Explorator]

Quite honestly in Britain these teenage women with kids don't spend any of the benefit on the kids. They give the kids the food they need, leave the child with the grandparents then go out and spend the benefit money on some cigarettes.

I think something should be put into order about this:

1) The benefit money hasto be spend on the child, not the mother and the mother has to record all purchases spent on the child.

2) If the benefit money is being wasted (social worker investigations) remove the payments and possibly take the child in care due to mistreatment.

Also, too much benefit money is being given out.

I live in Blackpool, probably one of the poorest areas in Britain, my family does not claim benefits and we generally live in a nice area.

The school I go to, we have kids walking around with new phones and stupid expensive items like that flashing them to everyone. If somebody was to ask where they got it from I am sure 40 - 50% of them would openly say

"My dad got £400 health benefit the other week and he got me a phone"

That example has actually occurred to me a few times with some friends I have.


Child benefits need to be cut for mothers that waste the money and benefits in general need to have a good amount cut off them.

[Jack!]

I think the system can be abused far to easily, I know someone that once they give birth, a year later they are pregnant again, Think she's on her 7th now? I can't keep track and she does obviously abuse the system as she hates work.

However on the other hand, without it my mum would of really struggled (Single Parent) I am the only child, yet things were really hard, and we did have to go without, I often recall not being able to go on school trips and things, simply because we couldn't afford it, the benefits we got were small, and in all honesty I don't know how anyone could live off them, my mum was working her hardest doing as many hours at work as she could, but it was still really hard, and the money we got from benefits was what paid for food to be on the table, the money from work paid for the roof over our heads and the heating.

I think there defiantly needs to be an improved system, I agree that having more kids you (obviously) need more money, however I think the amount should be limited at set up as one amount for X amount of children, instead of the current amount per child.

I.E;

1 Child = £100
2 Children = £160
3 Children = £250

etc etc.

[Catchy]

First of all, the teen pregnancy rate in the UK is at it's lowest since 1969. The conception rate in the UK has increased though due to a lot more women in their 30's and 40's having babies. Back to the question anyway, should benefits be cut? The simple answer is no, whilst there will be some who abuse the system the overwhelming majority imo should be entitled to these benefits. Teenage pregnancy is 8 times more common in young women who come from routine or manual backgrounds than those from professional backgrounds, it's easy to blame it on the girl or her family but other factors have to be considered here. Education, upbringing even ethnicity (certain ethnic groups are more prone to teenage pregnancy). Cutting benefits imo is not the solution to combat teen pregnancy, "they get pregnant because they want a house" is the most ridiculous statement I've heard... Many of these young mums are scared as hell and should receive support instead of articles like this which stigmatise every single teenage parent. Should we stop all benefits because people abuse the system? Should we stop the tax system because people abuse that too? No. There's always going to be people who think they can cheat the system, but in the end I don't believe it should be generalized to everyone because it's simply not the case and it isn't black and white. From working on a maternity ward I've seen it all, you get these teenage mums who have so many social issues it's unreal, many of you wouldn't even be able to comprehend with some of the things that these teenagers have gone through/going through. Support needs to be in place for these women, education needs to be in place! Attitudes need to change.

Also @Shar; excited to see your response to this debate

[-:Undertaker:-]

The simple answer is no, whilst there will be some who abuse the system the overwhelming majority imo should be entitled to these benefits. Teenage pregnancy is 8 times more common in young women who come from routine or manual backgrounds than those from professional backgrounds, it's easy to blame it on the girl or her family but other factors have to be considered here. Education, upbringing even ethnicity (certain ethnic groups are more prone to teenage pregnancy).

Why should hard working taxpayers, many of whom have children themselves and who struggle to pay day-to-day bills, be forced to pay for the care of moronic and stupid teenage girls & their offspring who couldn't keep their legs shut?

What happens when you reward stupid and reckless behaviour? you get more of it.

[Catchy]

Why should hard working taxpayers, many of whom have children themselves and who struggle to pay day-to-day bills, be forced to pay for the care of moronic and stupid teenage girls & their offspring who couldn't keep their legs shut?

What happens when you reward stupid and reckless behaviour? you get more of it.

You've drained me too much I can't even argue with you anymore lol. They're not moronic though, you obviously can't comprehend the situations some of these girls are in. It's a vicious cycle and people like you stigmatising and judging isn't gonna help the solution. Get off your high horse for once lol.

Why should I pay tax which goes towards disability benefits, it's not my fault they're disabled and require the benefit and it's not my problem... I shouldn't be paying for it. < that's sort of what your attitudes like. Anyways god help these hard working tax payers, if they're ever in need of any benefits... Hopefully they will still be available though but then again mb they will be too ashamed to go on them OOOOOO


anyways like i said not replying cos i'm bored of you

[-:Undertaker:-]

You've drained me too much I can't even argue with you anymore lol. They're not moronic though, you obviously can't comprehend the situations some of these girls are in. It's a vicious cycle and people like you stigmatising and judging isn't gonna help the solution. Get off your high horse for once lol.

Why should I pay tax which goes towards disability benefits, it's not my fault they're disabled and require the benefit and it's not my problem... I shouldn't be paying for it. < that's sort of what your attitudes like. Anyways god help these hard working tax payers, if they're ever in need of any benefits... Hopefully they will still be available though but then again mb they will be too ashamed to go on them OOOOOO


anyways like i said not replying cos i'm bored of you

Did you really just compare disabled people who need benefits with silly teenage girls who can't keep their legs shut? wow, just wow. The benefits system was set up as a system for decent people to rely on when they lost their job/became incapable of work through no fault of their own - it was not intended to serve as a father figure in terms of income to teenage ***** and their offspring.