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Jobless couple with 12 children are given a £500,000 home
Last updated at 09:22am on 24.07.07It's the type of highly-desirable family home that is well beyond the reach of many middle-class professionals.
A detached period house, with eight bedrooms, a garden, its own driveway and all set in a leafy residential area of well-to-do Newbury, Berkshire.
But Carl and Samantha Gillespie - together with their 12 children - have been able to move in without paying the slightest heed to Britain's sky-rocketing house prices.
In fact the couple have been given the keys without lifting a finger in work.
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The Gillespie family: Karl , Samantha and their 12 children
It has been revealed that the couple - neither of whom work and who receive an astonishing £44,000 in benefits a year - have been housed in the £500,000 property by their local council.
West Berkshire County Council gave them the keys after their previous council home burnt down in a blaze sparked by one of the couple's children.
The decision was greeted with anger and incredulity by the couple's new neighbours, many of whom have spent years working hard to struggle up the property ladder.
The Gillespies have been dubbed 'Britain's biggest scroungers' and are the most notorious example of people taking advantage of our generous benefits system.
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The £500,000 eight-bedroom house that the family have been given in Newbury
They receive the equivalent of £44,000 a year in benefits, a figure made up of £1,500 a month housing benefit; £1,200 a month child tax credit; £560 a month child benefits; £280 job seeker's allowance and £1,600 a year in council tax.
Former book-keeper Samantha, 35, had five children from a previous relationship when she married Carl, who used to work as a door-to-door salesman. They are Craig, 16, Adam, 14, Jack, 13, Rebekah, 11, and Harry, nine.
The couple then had seven of their own: twins Parris-Jordan and Kesla Blu, eight; twins Mason and Peaches, six; Logan, four, and the three-year-old twins Skye and Kalifornya.
When asked why they don't work, the couple say that looking after their children is a full time job. And they claim they would earn less working than they do claiming the dole.
Mr Gillespie has revealed that he quit a job at stacking shelves at Asda before he had even started, when he realised the £300 a week he would earn would result in a £400 benefits cut.
He said: "Some people may think we're a bunch of spongers, but it's not true." His wife added: "I was born to have children, it's what I am here for."
However, their MP, Labour's Martin Salter, has said "There is no excuse for any able-bodied person to be long-term unemployed in Reading, where jobs are plentiful.
"People who have large families should accept financial responsibility for that decision."
Prior to their latest home, the Gillespies were housed in a five-bedroom property in Purley-on-Thames, Berkshire.
However, in June last year the property burnt down when one of the family's youngest twins played with a cigarette lighter.
Following that they lived in temporary council accommodation and the children were ferried to and from school in a minibus, paid for by the council.
Their latest home, formerly a hotel, is estimated to have cost £350,000 to buy and a further £150,000 to renovate with double-glazing, carpets, central heating and furniture.
Mr and Mrs Gillespie claim that they want to go out to work but would lose more than they gain.
The family said when they were offered an eight-bedroom £500,000 house from the council they had no choice but to take it as previous accommodation had been totally unsuitable.
Despite this, neighbours said the family were the 'wrong sort' and shouldn't be there.
Mr Gillespie, 34, said: "We're not scroungers and if it was economical for me to work then I would do.
"We can just about survive on the money we've got but I can't give my kids nice things that other parents could like days out, and if I were working I could afford them.
"The last job I had was in 2000 or 2001 when I was working at ASDA earning £300 to £350 a month.
"I did this for ten weeks and at that time my housing benefit was cut from £1600 to £800 a month so it just didn't make sense for me to carry on working."
Mrs Gillespie, 36, added: "All our kids are in school and they want to make something of themselves and not just scrounge and live off the dole.
"My oldest son Craig joined the army last week and we're doing our best to make sure the others have careers as well.
"If we were scroungers we'd be telling them to either have babies or get straight on the dole, but we're not.
"Before we were offered this house we lived in a three-bedroom house which was temporary accommodation.
"There were seven boys in one bedroom and five girls in another. In the boys bedroom we had three sets of bunk beds lined up next to each other and you could hardly move".
The house itself is a three storey modern brick detached farmhouse style home in a quiet residential street in Newbury.
It has its own gate and is set back from the road by a gravel driveway on which are a Fiat Bravo, a Ford Escort, two bicycles, a broken pushchair and a washing machine.
Neighbour Betty Giles, 80, said: "It's not right for them to be in there. I live with my son and he's mortgaged up to his eyeballs so it's pretty stiff for him to see them move into such a nice house."
Another female neighbour in her sixties, who declined to be named for fear of retribution, said: "They're the wrong sort of people for round here.
"Most people on the street are elderly and I think there's only one other family in the vicinity, but nowhere near as big as theirs.
"The general mood is that they're not wanted." The family moved in on May 14th.
Mrs Gillespie showed me her annual income support form which was £19,775.74 but this does not include housing benefit.
Paul and Samantha have eight children together and she has four from a previous relationship, making 12 in total.
The children they have had together are Harry 10, Parris Jordan 8, Kesla 8, Mason 7, Peaches 7, Logan 5, Skye 3 and Californya 3.
Samantha's children from her previous relationship are Craig 17, Adam 16, Jack 14 and Rebekah 13.
West Berkshire Council was unavailable for comment.
Reader views (77)
This family goes to my school and they are nothing but trouble, they are such chavs and are always getting into trouble or fights. And there parents lie when they say they cannot do nice things because the seem to always have money for the shop and get quite allot for their birthdays.
- Peter, Newbury
Theyre milking the system dry! Haha shame on you Gordon!
- Chuttha Singh, phagwara
This article, and everyone who has a problem with this family, is being classist and unfair. How does their living situation hurt you? It doesn't. You are just angry and bitter because you have suffered. But you know what? It's not their fault you suffered. They are trying to live happy lives and you should too. I can't stand how many people are willing to point fingers and moan instead of getting off their bums and making changes for the better in their own lives. It is pathetic.
Everyone deserves a basic standard of living. No matter what you think of their lifestyle choices. You would rather that these people suffered on scraps in a tin shack than get a "free ride". Maybe even because you "had" to do that. Don't you see how cruel that is?
Taxes are meant to help people, and this is helping people. If you have a problem with sharing your money, or how much of it you share, take it to your elected representative, instead of taking it out on this family.
- Sylvie, USA
this type of thing makes me sick
me and my wife have worked ALL our lives and never claimed a penny in benefits
we are both 55. Recently my wife became unemplyed and tried to claim benefits but she was told (me) her husband must support her. I have 2 jobs and cant keep up the mortgage payment.
What signals is the government sending out.
shame on the british benefit system
why are we getting all those imigrants crossing the seas to get to this country?
- Bal Dass, birmingham
We should judge our SELVES more often, we would see flaws in our own behavior would we not!
- A Person, lincs
Wow, this is absolutely mind-boggling. I have issues with my own country, but at least we set limits on how long people can leech off of the taxpayers.
I can't believe these people aren't completely ashamed of themselves.
- Denise, Arizona, USA
Words fail me, please if this guy can give me a few tips on how to work the system my email address is right here! What is this country coming to eh?
- Stuart, Huddersfield UK
This is outrageous! Why should hard working people be taxed to death, only to fund these peoples' breeding habits. If they want 12 children, they should be responsible enough to provide for them. Both national and local government are encouraging the wrong kind of people to breed, and it makes me sick to the back teeth!
- Andy Bird, St. Ives
I would give them the family allowance and nothing else. They want kids let them keep them. We all had to keep our kids and that meant going out to work. If they didn't get things handed to them on a plate she might realise there is more to life than having kids for taxpayers to keep. I find this attitude very selfish with no respect for anyone.
- Agnes Smith, St Andrews, Scotland
This highlights a gut wrenching problem in society where people are actually calculating if it's better off to work or claim benefits. How about child benefits just being capped to a maximum? People would soon figure out that no more cash would be available for any more than say two kids. If they have more it's their choice and they would have to spread the cash available.
- Phil, Watford Herts
We can't stop paying JSA, housing benefit or child benefit, none of which facilitate a luxurious lifestyle anyway - any sweeping changes to the benefit laws that would hit this family would also hit the genuinely needy. The real problem is that this family have 12 kids, so end up claiming what looks like a fortune, and living in a relatively posh house. The only answer, therefore, is to limit the number of children any family can have. This shouldn't just apply to the unemployed, because what if a man has a £1m a year job and 12 kids, then loses his job? Putting a cap on family sizes is the only thing that would stop this sort of thing, but I guess it's easier for some to just blame the welfare state, thus tarring the genuinely unfortunate with the same brush.
- Ian, London UK
These people are just taking the mick out of the system and give honest people who may have no choice but to claim benefits a bad name.
- Anthony Hagger, Hull, UK
I have people working for me on salaries of £21k and who are hard workers yet they cannot get on the housing ladder. As one mentioned to me today on reading this story, if I knew what I know now, I should have just got pregnant at 16.
Sadly this is an attitude ot too many people these days who know this is a very easy way of life now.
Being pregnant should not get you on the property ladder. Parents should be held responsible.
- Lee, Cheshunt
If you can't feed them, then don't breed them is right - but that's not the question here really.
The real question is: What *do* you do with the people who choose to have large families without being able to pay for them?
- Mike Lacey, Kegworth, UK
I thought you had to be looking for work to claim jobseekers allowance; if you stop looking, they cut the allowance (at least it was the last time I was out of work).
- Anon, London
Doesn't it just show how bad the average working persons wages are in the UK when people can claim more in benefits than working?
Not just this case but others too.
- Nmm, Newcastle upon Tyne
It's a crying shame they get a house for doing nothing but making babies, pity the rest of us actually work and struggle to even get on the property market. Perhaps we should take a leaf out of their book, and give up work and stay home and do nothing.
Makes me sick!
- Lauren, Bournemouth
My wife and I are retirees. We live in a house something like the house under discussion. I grew up the youngest of seven, my father a blacksmith my mother a charlady. I studied part time and working as a department manager, to get a physics degree after I was married and had two children. Six weeks after my second son was born I was sterilised. My wife worked for 20 years once the children were deemed old enough.
I now find that the taxes we pay, from our fixed and reducing income, are supporting such feckless burdens on society. I am a life long socialst, however I'm dismayed that the system, that is meant to help those in need, is hijacked by people who have no-one to blame for their "need" except themselves. I find it galling to see them smiling at the camera, who wouldn't.
- Graham Piddington, Crowborough
A family should get a roof on benefit. That's one room with camp beds. If they want more than that they should get out and work for it like the rest of us.
- Mike Holmes, Edinburgh, Scotland
Once again the country has gone mad. It makes a complete mockery of every single person who has struggled to pay a mortgage on an inferior property. I thought jobseekers allowance was for those seeking jobs. They have already said it is not worth their while working. If they are not seeking work then cut their allowance. To earn £300 a month, he must only be doing a few hours a week. Do a full weeks work and you'll get a full weeks wage. Lazy scroungers.
- Chris, London
This is a classic example of what is wrong with our country! If you cannot afford to support your children, don't have them! It is unfair to expect people who work hard and pay taxes to support this family. It makes me sick to the core knowing how there are other families out there busting a gut to make ends meet when this family get given a half million pounds house and don't pay their own way.
Disgusting.
- Jo, Surrey, UK
As time goes on, I feel more and more that paying taxes - beyond a certain minimal level - is morally wrong. The government wastes vast sums of our money on failed IT projects, management consultants, and a growing army of scroungers like this, and I've had enough.
I love the quote about "born to have children", as if that makes it OK. Does the world really need any more children? I was born to drink cocktails and drive Ferraris, but tough, I'll just have to work for another 30 years and then maybe I can do it...
- Asns, Suffolk, UK
As someone who has a child and lives in the local area, this is just infuriating. Both myself and my husband put our 13 month old daughter into nursery (paying through the nose for the privilege!) and work full time just to make enough money to pay our mortgage and bills.
I wouldn't mind if they were made to go out and do some community service to 'earn' their £44k a year, but they aren't. I understand that 12 kids must be a full time job, but there is such a thing as contraception, no-one forced them to continue breeding!
The whole benefits system needs an overhaul.
- Pam, Newbury, Berkshire
Lets all have 12 kids and let the goverment keep us !
- P, Durham
Indeed, half a dozen deserving people could benefit from that money. There are people who, through disability, illness or other genuine circumstances, simply cannot work and yes they do need some help in life - but nobody needs twelve children.
People seem to forget that children are a privilege, not a right, and that many are just unnecessary, especially if you have no means to support them on your own. Yes, maybe you need a little help from "the system", whether just as a top-up or other things that aren't necessarily your fault - but for them to get 4x what I earn and a free house just for breeding honestly makes me wonder why I work at all.
- Andrew, London
I am not surprised the local residents are disgusted, I would be too. Her comment about her being born to have children riled me, "I was born to have children, it's what I am here for", but they aren't actually providing for their children, the taxpayers are. She moans that she can't afford to take her children for days out, but had she had less children, they're quality of life would be better. If you can't afford children, don't have them, simple.
She ought to be told that if she has any more children that she won't won't receive any extra benefits. There is no reason in this worl why that father can't work, If most of them are school, then he should be providing for his family. They are a disgrace.
- Disgusted, Wiltshire
I agree with most of the comments here and would add one more thing.
I grew up in a financially challenged household at a time when 'social support' was of the neighbourly kind rather than the financial kind. Both my parents worked hard in low income jobs to provide a roof over the heads of their five children. There wasn't a TV, phone, etc.
What lession are these kids being taught by the example of both their parents and the state, equally?
- Rachelle, London
I have been undergoing treatment for breast cancer since October of last year and am currently unable to work because of this. If I did not have some savings which I have been ekeing out I would be destitute as I was turned down for benefits, despite having worked since 1977. My crime? I took a year off 2003-04 to look after my late father and didn't pay NI contributions for 3 months of that. The DWP told me that "having breast cancer is no excuse for trying to get benefits". How come is it then that people like these find the benefits system so easy then? Cancer patients get fed up of reading about these cases as we have to jump through hoops to get anything, we don't even qualify for free prescriptions. I recently had to attend hospital in Edinburgh over 25 days for radiotherapy and it cost me over £400 in travel costs, parking and bridge tolls.
- Linda, Fife
My partner and I both work full time and struggle to buy a property in our own town, this town where having 12 kids is rewarded!
We would not be offered any help and are having to rely on our families to help us get onto the property ladder.
Maybe I should quit my job and start popping out babies - seems the only way to get any help...
I am upset for everyone who works hard everywhere, while people like this take everything and contribute nothing.
- Amy, Newbury, Berkshire UK
What is worse is that the £44K is after tax, for the rest of us to earn £44K after tax we need to be on a salary of over £65K, this is almost 3 times the average salary of this country. The figure doesn't even include any money for mortgage repayments, which assuming an 80% loan to value would be a loan of £400K which would be at least another £2k a year in repayments. So that is a take home pay of £68K which you would need to be earning over 90K a year putting them in the top 10% of earners for doing nothing but procreating. No wonder Gordon wants to tax us more. This just show's how wrong the benefits system is, it needs fixing now.
- Phil G, London, England
Its apalling... I would love to have a baby, just one but can't! Why? Because I have to work full-time, pay a mortgage, pay taxes which then go to provide people like them with a fantastic home and a huge amount of benefit! If I quit my job having paid taxes for 17 years would I be rehoused and given a fortune in benefits - NO, I wouldn't! I'm sick and tired of lazy spongers like these. You don't have 12 kids if you can't afford to support them yourself. Why should we have to!
- Kathy, London
This seems to be a more common occurance around the country and only highlights the terrible state that Britain is in. My neighbours have 7 kids and live in a 3 bed semi, but they work for a living so they dont get a free £500,000 house. The Government only seems to encourages this sort of thing by not taking the tougher approach that they should have done years ago. Why don't the Government stop benefits for people who wont work or for people who should not be entitled to them, i.e. made no or very little contribution? If they cant find a job, they should be given one by the job centre, not continually allowed to collect benefit supplied by the hard working tax payers. Something is terribly wrong and its about time the Government had the guts to stand up and take action.
- David, Cheshire
In response to Sarah's comment, it is possible to have two working parents and not become a delinquent. I and many of my peers managed it.
That the Gillespies have milked the system to this extent is just sickening.
- Caroline, London
Rob from the richly deserving, give to the poorly motivated.
- Tobin, Andover
Good luck to them. I'd rather pay double taxes that look after 12 kids.
- Pa, London
Appalling, and I doubt very much if once their millions of kids leave home they'll be made to move. So in other words they've got a beautiful house for the rest of their lives in a lovely area that most of us would never be able to afford. Berkshire council should be ashamed as should the Government for letting things get this idiotic.
- Geraldine, London
Why do you think so many people claim benefits in the UK! When undeserving people get everything and the back bone, hard working brits get a kick up the backside!
- Sarah, London
I thought you had to be actively seeking work to receive unemployment, but they openly admit they are not?
- Mark, Redditch, UK
It's simple - you should get benefits for 2 children, any more than that you pay for yourselves. That would stop all the scroungers from having more children to gain bigger houses, more benefits etc. It's ridiculous. If you can't afford them, don't have them.
- Nm, London
I can understand people needing help if they've had kids and then fell on hard times but this is just a case of let's get someone else pay for our children from the word go, which is totally immoral and antisocial. As Brickdust said, if you can't feed them, don't breed them!
- Isabel, Woking, England
I share Phil's sentiments however you cannot fully target and blame those in 'need' who take advantage of a system which means you are 'richer' not working than if you are. The clear definition of an oxymoron! Wonder if that chappie who moved from No. 11 to No. 10 has anything to do with it? If you could wouldn't you?
- Tal, London
No wonder so many teenagers are having babies, it pays doesnt it. Why work when you can have a nice house rent free, get weekly payments, and benefits galore.
In this day of so many contraceptives available they wouldn't get pregnant if it didn't pay them.
- A.Grounds, Lancaster
Any self respecting person wouldn't have this many children unless they could afford to pay for them. I have one child as that's all I can afford, and even if I could afford to have more I'd have no more than 2, the planet can't sustain the population as it is, never mind contributing to increasing it! These clowns haven't got a clue. Furthermore, any system that allows this sort of thing to happen is failing the majority!
Shame on them and shame on the Labour Government! It's a disgrace!
- Richard, Holmfirth, UK
The long term unemployed who continue to have children they can't support themselves should have them put up for adoption by those who can. What sort of role models are parents like these?
- Clare, London, UK
Where is this Government's sense of perspective? New affordable homes for the hard working lower paid are to be built on flood plains and scroungers housed in palatial properties in safe leafy suburbs (but not I bet next door to Nu-Labour robot Yvette Cooper, the Housing Minister). Gee thanks Gordon, your all heart.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne, UK
It was their choice to have all these kids, make them pay their way! Not our fault if he can't earn enough, he should have thought about that before having all these kids!
I thought the Government made people take a job if they were long term unemployed, or just lazy like these characters!
Get a job and stop scrounging.
- Graeme, London
I cannot afford to have children so have decided against it. It is enough to support myself let alone even one other dependent. Like Cerri said - it was their choice to have all those children. However, you cannot really blame them because if the State is going to pay them, why not? Personally, I would find it difficult to take so much and give so little back but more fool me, eh!
- Sp, London
As they say, work harder as people on benefits depend on you.
This county is going mad! This is just wrong.
- Clare, Swindon
Very simple solution to this, don't pay out benefits to anything after child number 2. This would have the side benefits of making these sorts of people think about their actions a bit more, and eventually reduce the population.
- Dan, London
So is that a viable career option for me? Give up my job, have another eight kids and go cap in hand to the state? The lunatics have indeed taken over the asylum.
- Ed Taylor, Hertfordshire
Wrong, wrong, wrong. My partner and I work hard, full time (plus weekends) and are saving up for a deposit to buy our first home together. We are both 30. We do not have children because we want to be able to buy a home first and make sure we are in a position to cope financially. These people make me sick, as does the system which propogates their work shy existance.
- We, Kent
Just the way benefits are means tested the welfare system should be capped per family. That way there is a safety net per family to a certain extend. There is no reason to blame the family. They have not broken any laws. They are simply making use of the benefit system. It is there to be used. It is the council's fault for renting out such an expensive house.
- Bp, London
This is Labours Britain; you work hard and get taxed hard to pay for everyone else.
Labours policies encourage social irresponsibility, "someone else will clear up my mess".
Vote right, vote right.
- Frank, Home Counties, England
This just shows what a caring and compassionate country we are. We should be proud of our welfare system.
Perhaps we should arrange for them to have a holiday in the sun to recover from the stress of recent publicity.
- Peter, Hull UK
I don't blame them for taking every legal advantage of the system. If you don't like it, change the system.
- Steve Johnson, Reading, UK
This has been going on for years its about time the goverment did something for the back bone of this country of ours(the people that work, pay tax, and don`t complain) now that would be something,I think we should all send letters to our new PM and see what he is going to do.
- Ian Donovan, Stockport
Why are they getting job seekers allowance, when they openly admit that they aren't interested in looking for a job?
- Frank, Manchester, England
The welfare state is there to help out people who are in hardship and between jobs not scroungers like this. We need a system where both parents are forced to work whether it's paid or not. I also notice they have a car, presumably this is also paid for by us taxpayers?
- Trevor Roll, London
I don't mind paying my taxes and national insurance in the knowledge that some people genuinely need help but I don't pay my taxes to support other people's lifestyles. This Gilliespie chap would need to earn around £62.5k per annum to end up with £44k and let's face he's unlikely to command that sort of wage.
The benefits system is a complete mess and this situation is an insult to many people like myself who take moral and financial responsibility for their own affairs.
- Mark, South-East London
Though this makes me sick you actually can't blame them. But what I don't understand is why the Govt doesn't make people like this work for their benefits? Clean the streets, remove grafiti, work in care homes etc. But I suppose letting them both scrounge in this way guarantees another dozen votes for Labour when the kids reach voting age.
- Scott, Loughton, Essex
It beggars belief. How does he get job seekers allwoance when he's obviously not looking for a job?
- Paul, London
I'm not sure whats worse, the scrounging parents who had too many children when they knew they couldn't afford to look after them, or the elderly neighbours who are hogging the family homes - one of them actually said - 'I think there's only one other family in the vicinity'! In houses that size? Unbelievable.
- John, London
I feel sorry for their neighbours, another genius move by the local authority. What if we were all to have as many kids as we could then throw ourselves at the mercy of the government. It makes me sick that I work my backside off to pay for people like this. Only in Britain.
- Stuart, London
Don't blame them! They only serve to prove the theory that if you pay people a lot of money to do nothing, some will gladly take up the offer. It is not their fault that as a country we make social housing too available and pay excess benefits. Meanwhile, the Berkshire tax payers will go to work on overcrowded transport.
- Roy G, Solihull, England
Absolutely shocking! Why has Britain made it more desirable to claim benefits than work? The hard working people who pay their taxes see it wasted on the lazy. It is about time that the Government stopped wasting public money and gave it back to those people who do work.
- Jacqueline, Derbyshire, UK
All that at the tax-payers' expense and they can afford to smoke as well. How can they justify claiming Jobseeker's Allowance when neither have the faintest intention of working for a living? These idiots deserve to be squeezed into a three-bedroomed house, if I was a taxpayer in Berkshire I'd be absolutely livid.
- Lmd, London
We live in a tiny one bed flat, have no chance of a family or a house, but we both slog our guts out, working all hours to try to afford a proper house. While they merrily keep shelling out kids for which our taxes pay.
If you can't feed them, then don't breed them. The world has gone made, totally, utterly barmy.
How utterly devastating for the local people who have bought their homes fair and square, worked, got a mortgage and done it the 'right' way.
- Brickdust, London, UK
Always been the way if you work hard and pay your taxes you get nothing, if you sit on your backside and have kids you get everything you want for FREE. It's so annoying. Time to give up work and make babies everyone!
- Tony Wyatt, Hastings, UK
This is so wrong they should be forced to work as they are able to work but won't... it just makes me sick that I as many hard working tax payers have to pay for people who think the world owes them a living. The benefits system should stop their benefits if they refuse to work.
- Andrew Gardner, Bordon, England
Call me heartless if you wish, but this kind of thing makes me mad! They CHOOSE to have that many children and then CHOOSE to scrounge off the system by not working. We have so much help today that it seems easier for people like these to just pop out children and live off the system.
When my Nana was a child she was one of nine children. There were no benefits at all, no child benefit, family tax credit or anything else. You weren't guaranteed a roof over your head, nor was there free health.
My Great-Grandparents knew that if they DIDN'T worked they would starve, they could lose their home and so forth. In my opinion, you choose to have 12 kids, you are responsible for them...
- Cerri, Yorkshire, UK
Always good to see my hard earned taxes "hard at work".
- Jay, London, UK
I wonder whether the children will grow up wanting to do anything different than their parents?
- Ella, London, UK
How can the benefit system be right when it is better to be out of work than in work. Whether it's tax credits or some kind of bonus, married couples or 2 partners need to be given an incentive that equals the single parent.
I don't argue with teh fact that this family need a large property but did the taxpayer really have to furnish it for them? Especially after their last place was damaged by their own negligence.
- Heather, Essex, England
Imagine if every couple in this country decided on doing likewise. Where would the money come from? If you frame it in those terms, you can see that it's blatantly unfair to the rest of the population.
- Phil Jones, London UK
Yet another example of the crazy benefits culture which is now endemic in Britain - sadly this is just the tip of a hugely expensive, abhorrent left wing 'tax the rich to support those who are just to bone idle to work' mantra, which will erode peoples faith in the entire tax/benefits structure.
- Gary Parker, Amersham
Welcome to Britain under Labour. A country where the unemployed (and the unemployable) are treated far better than those in work. Sheer madness.
- David Clancy, London, England
Would it be better for them to be in work and have their kids growing up not having anyone at home all day so they can get away with not going to school and turning into delinquents? The local council could have then given £350,000 to social workers and ABSO officials to keep an eye on the kids.
- Sarah, London
