steve #124 So true. It is hilarious to me the number of people which fail to see the service that parents do for our country. Who is going to be the doctors, teachers, roading contractors etc that keep NZ running in the future if only the "worthwhile" have children. How do we decide who has earned the "right" to have children? I have a 2 year old son and I work full time, my husband stays at home and looks after him, and will do until he is 3, when we will put him in daycare which is subsidised by the government (at the moment anyway). If the government pulls that particular plug, then i don't know what we would do as we barely get by as it is.

It is frightening that we know little of the details behind the 10 kids family and yet most posters seem more than happy to sterilise the parents immediately and take their children away from them!

I believe this should not be $1000 a week on benefit who has more than 8 children or more as it should be give child support from IRD.

I don't believe this excuse come from excessive parent who remained on benefit for long peroid of time.

I worked sometimes ten days in a row doing shift work and I did not get anything near what these people receive. Having this many children and expecting someone else to keep them is obscene.

Family support should be paid for the first 4 kids, that's a reasonable sized family in anyone's books. After that, you're on your own. Taxpayers shouldn't be paying ANYONE to breed, whether they're on a benefit or getting the working for families tax credit.

I am concerned the extend of the problem affecting parent with more than 10 children as it could have receive Child Support from IRD on the first place rather than relies in WINZ.

It time for review for child support and other related child based subsidies should ensure set out the limitations requirements.

It needs greater legislative changes for this issue to overcome the extend of number of childrens which every parent holding of thier owns.

All you selfish buggers not having kids - what right do you have to comment. you expect my kids to serve you in the shops, deliver your newspapers, change your dirty backsides when you are old. you sit there pontificating - where's your contribution to society maintaining it's population.

Go serve yourself - sorry that's what you do already. You place no value on children or on people who have them My grandparents knew that you had to have 2.6 children to replenish the population. you changed the tax system and reduced wages so people couldn't raise a family on one income. Do you not connect the rising DPB numbers in the 80's with the reduction of wages and help for families ( and interest rates of up to 22.5%).

You created the world you see but don't want to face up to the fact that you did. It's sad you can no longer raise a family on one income as so many people here said.

And for those who are moaning about they can only afford one kid - follow your own advice - get off your backside and get a better paying job - apparently all you have to do is make the effort - actually why don't you just become a millionaire - it's only your slack attitude that stops you.

Somehow you seem to believe this tripe.

It's much easier to blame the government than the companies who make large profits, the executives who get massive salaries, the overseas owners who take much of there money off shore and so on.

#63, David. I dont think anyone would begrudge you for receiving a small benefit. You are out there working, your taxes are effectively paying for your benefit anyway. Not only that, your fiance is studying to better improve her situation, very admirable once again.

What the majority of tax paying NZers has had a gutsful with, is the beneficiaries who are not doing anything to better their situation, refuse to stop having children until they can actually afford to, and are not in one way contributing to society, other than introducing alot more future Kidscan recipients.

I have no worries with the benefit, my mother was on it when I was little, but as soon as she was able to, she was back in the workforce earning a living, with welfare topping up the difference. There is no reason why alot of beneficiaries can't do the same. Heck, they could be helping clean grafitti, or keep the beaches clean if they can't get work!

As it is, I will be in the same boat as you shortly, I am expecting a child in 8 weeks, and will not be able to afford to take alot of time off, so my child will too go into childcare, and if I can, I will be asking for a bit of money from the government to help with childcare. I still intend on working, and there is the difference between us and the "bludgers" that people are complaining about.

All beneficiaries should be sterilized until they have work. Not onluy is it a drain on society it's also dumbs down our society. Harsh, but true!

If they have been unemployed for 15 years. We have had several different governments in that time, so why isn't someone drawing a line in the sand and say 'From now on your benefit will not be increased once you get to the 3 limit. But you if you want more kids then you can earn more over and above the benefit, and give it heaps of media attention.?'

I totally agree that the state should only pay for the first 2 kids, my husband and I have had to make the decision to not have kids as we can't afford them!! I think anyone who has been on a benefit for more than a couple of years should be audited and made to do community work to 'earn' their money. If they thought they had to work for it they would soon learn to stop having kids.