General Chat

ZZzzz - you're assuming the child will grow up - or indeed be brought up as a 'commodity' created merely to provide housing, unloved etc etc.

Definitely not as bad as the Government's child benefit for 2 children - unless the third was the result of a rape!
Children of the 'working class' aren't as dense as this Government thinks.
If a child accidentally comes across evidence of their parent receiving 3 lots of child benefit, many will soon work it out.

There was a case of a woman recently whose second child was the result of rape.
She had a third child, the result of a loving relationship - and was refused child benefit.
'Sorry lady - 'computer says no' - you were raped at the wrong time'.

maggiewinchester, I hope I am wrong in that assumption but it doesn’t look that way yet.

Did the lady fight her case of 3rd child and win, I hope so.

Unfortunately it is 'that way'.
The lady was initially paid, then they realised it was her third child, and are now clawing back the money they paid her.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-three-child-benefits-capped-18805591

Here's a story.
My g grandad, Arthur was married in London.
He left his wife and moved to Bournemouth.
Arthur didn't divorce his first wife, either because he couldn't afford it, or because she was in an asylum.

My g gran Agnes had a child out of wedlock, in a small village in Suffolk.
She left the child with her parents and moved to Bournemouth
They met, whilst working at the same hotel, and moved to Southampton, where Agnes took Arthur's surname and was known as Mrs. P.

Over the next 21 years, they had 8 children, including my gran, who all had Arthur's surname.
Arthur's first wife eventually died in 1922, and they quietly got married.
None of their children knew about this.

In 1924, my grandad, Charles' wife, Vi, died. He wrote to my gran, Ann who had been a friend of Vi's. Things progressed rapidly, and they wanted to marry. Gran was only 20.
Agnes refused to agree to her marrying Charles on various grounds - two were - it was too soon after Vi's death, and Charles was 'soiled goods'. Agnes was also expecting another baby, and wanted gran at home, to look after the other children. Arthur had no say - he was a steward on a ship, and away a lot.

Over the next year, Ann and Charles, with the help of the mother of a friend, made secret arrangements to marry the next year, when gran was 21, and wouldn't need Ann's parents agreement.
They married - Neither set of parents were invited.

Slowly the rift between Ann and her mother healed.
Arthur died in 1938, Agnes in 1947.
Going through her mother's stuff, Ann came upon her parents marriage certificate, which confused her. She contacted a relative of Arthur, and learnt the truth.
She wasn't upset that she was illegitimate. She was upset at her mother's hypocrisy - calling Charles 'soiled goods', as he was a widower, when her mother had been 'carrying on' with man whose wife was still alive!

Oh yes - Arthur, Agnes and quite a few of their children were moved into one of the first Council Houses in Southampton!