... to feel angry about single mother of 11 getting new house built for her!!

Here's a link

Mansion for mother of 11

Think of the children, not just the mother. As usual, the press is using selective language and selected facts.

The woman sounds a bit thick but the children need decent lives. And, hopefully, a decent education.

No point in perpetuating things.

The views expressed here are an interesting contrast to the views expressed in the thread about Call the Midwife!

Some of the views.....

Well, these days contraception is free and readily available, Lilygran!

This family already have a 6 bedroom house even though it is two joined to-gether,the mother is stating she cannot see what the children are up to in the next house accessed by the ajoining door well sence would tell you to put the eldest children + grandchild in that part of the house surely at 18/19/21 they are able to look after themselves,looking at the frontage of the present house how long will it be before the new house is an eyesore and things are back where they started.
The only people happy here are the neighbours who are looking forward to a Street party when this family move out,then how much will it cost tax payers to repair the said properties to bring back into their housing stock.

It's the same old same old isn't it? There is a system to help those in genuine need and those who know how to exploit the system do so. One (of the many) thing(s) I don't understand, is the council's perceived responsibility for housing the adult "children"? My children couldn't get away quick enough once they were old enough to leave home!

gracesmum quite agree mine where self sufficent and wanted their own place,when DS1 came out of the forces he was refused housing as he was not considered an urgent case and he had to go down the private route of renting,he was refused a mortgage as he did not have a permenant address during the previous 5 years and could not supply utiltiy bills etc,I told mortgage to try the second tent on the left just off the main highway Irag.

should read mortgage advisor ! sorry ^^

Eldest children are probably drawing benefits in their own 'right'.

There are a number of other families as big as this where both parents work. There was one featured in the Mail in the last week. Why isnt this lady working?

This is one reason why I think child benefit should be limited to the first 2 children in any one home. It would have to be announced 9 months in advance and not affect those who already have large families but might prevent those who can't afford it from having lots more. I think I have probably heard all the arguments against this idea but none of them seems to me to be valid enough for us all to continue paying out for people who have no intention of supporting themselves and their children.

I wonder how she would feel if she was told that her neighbours were paying for her lifestyle. So many people seem to think the government is paying for them but it is us!

This woman had her first child at 14. Where was the sex education then? Did nobody give her contraceptive advice? If they did it was clearly not taken. I read that last year she had cervical cancer. The HPV which causes this cancer is sexually transmitted. Go figure.

When the older children move out, freeing up bedrooms, will she then be bleating that she's got to downsize because she can't afford the bedroom tax?

Bear in mind that this is just one very irresponsible woman. The majority of council house tenants are not profligate. Publishing a story about this singular situation is designed to stir up self-righteous and angry feelings about the undeserving poor and it rather looks as if it is succeeding. There is an agenda here, I think.

merlotgran maybe that is why she is keeping them with her as any other mother would like to see their off spring out and making a way in the world independently.

Why should tax payers keep people like this ? I gave birth to the number of children I could afford to raise. First one at 14, was the man prosecuted for under age sex ?

glammama re your son having to provide proof of address, that is unbelievable and a good response from you!

Why are only some cases seen as more deserving than others?

There is so much that is wrong here, and on so many levels, that I hardly know where to start!

It was the bit about her saying that if she didn't like it then the council could just build her another one that got me.

Allegedly she also has a horse which costs £200 per month! Having had a friend who once owned a horse, it's one massive expense, worse than kids I'd say.

Can somebody please explain to me this.

Time after time a comment is made that tries to imply this type of thing is not common, isolated instances, the right wing press having a go, class divide.

If any of those were true, how on earth do we keep hearing about substantiated stories time after time after time.

Time to take heads out of the sand. This is not the 'Meet the Midwife, era. People simply will not, do not take responsibility for their lives, the state will do it. They only give everybody a bad name. The mad, sad, bad thing about it is, this will never change.

I agree with your second paragraph, POGS.

OK, so these cases may be rare - but a Council shouldn't be actually building a house for a large family because they're duty-bound to house them in accordance with the rules as to bedroom-sharing.

There are countless numbers of families on Council housing waiting lists already waiting for three or four bedroomed houses, but the way the system works (!) means that new applicants sometimes get higher priority.