I myself was told by a jobcentre advisor dont bother going back to work as benefits cover your needs and you get to stay with your children all the time. I have calculated that without Tax Credits I would be earning less than my childcare costs (1,200 per month)! this is ridiculous and not even taking into account my mortgage payments, bills and transport costs!

If childcare was free or subsidised life would be easier and many many many more mums and dads would chose work rather than telly.

It does seem however that the government should be targeting people in their twenties and thirties who literally leave school and enter the benefits system and claim to be “depressed” or ill through stress or anxiety or (a great problem..) addiction. This is not an illness, it is a choice. THESE are the people whose benefits should be stopped and reduced. They should be cleaning streets, cleaning garvitti, policing dog fouling and littering and doing valuable voluntary work rather than robbing each other, getting benefits “on the sick” and skiving.

Truly ill or disabled people should not be targeted as I am willing to bet they make efforts to volunteer and study as a way of “working”.