I agree with Graeme Martin about 'the teenage breeding programme” and how easy it is for a young girl to become a beneficiary simply by having a baby and not naming the drop-kick father.
I feel much of it comes down to education, or rather the lack of it. Many are girls who lack educational skills, they are not going to have an exciting career, the future is uncertain and they mainly go to school to eat their lunch. It is not too many steps from that scenario to becoming a career beneficiary. You cannot take away the benefit as it is the children who would suffer. The social welfare system is being reviewed and is going to give payment by means of food grants and direct debits for rent and living expenses with less actual cash in the hand. However as Mr Martin says, the real problem is that they do not have to work for their money and you and I, the taxpayer is funding their choice of lifestyle. I was a solo mother for years after a marriage break-up but I did have a couple of jobs to keep life ticking along and I also managed to pay off my mortgage. or today's young solo mother, the government says she must find employment when her youngest reaches a certain age but are the jobs there?
It would be interesting to take note of what other countries do about this problem.

Robin Bishop, Pyes Pa.