Benefits for stay at home parents?

Published Thursday, 21 March 2013
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Budget plans announced on Wednesday suggested parents who stay at home to look after their children should not get as much financial help as those who work.

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Should stay at home parents receive the same benefits as those who work?
Should stay at home parents receive the same benefits as those who work?


On the This Morning sofa on Thursday, business woman and mum of three Katie Hopkins and Lynne Burnham from the group 'Mothers at Home Matter' debated the issue with presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

Katie agrees with government plans and said the new childcare plans, which are expected to come into effect in 2015, are welcomed because if you are a stay at home parent you don't need the benefit.

She said the recent government announcement was 'a budget of aspiration.'

"It's about people who want to work hard, it's about rewarding them and trying to help them in every way that we possibly can," she said.

If you choose to have a child, well you're accountable for that choice you made, and other taxpayers don't want to pay you for it, so suck it up.

Katie Hopkins, Business woman and mother of three

"So it's saying if you go back to work, you will have a tax relief on the first £6000 that you earn and if you're a stay at home mum, why on earth do you need childcare anyway.

"If you are a stay at home mum, why would you expect the taxpayer to fund your decision to stay at home with your child? - you can't expect that in the economy that we are in," she added.

Lynne Burnham disagreed and said benefits need to have a 'level playing field.'

"All this government want to do is to force women back into the workplace," she said.

"If you are going to help those that are out on the workplace then equally those that have given up a salary should as well.

"We have given up that salary to be at home because we believe that that's what best for our family and our community.

"Mothers at home work exceptionally hard; a lot are going out to volunteer. Schools wouldn't function if there wasn't this cohort of mothers at home going in to (help)."

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