Growing up poor, we had many families on the street who literally had children every year for the purposes of receiving more money. (More children = more child welfare income)
Kids always grew up in poverty whilst much of the money went on drugs etc.
Was a bad time and lots of the kids grew up to be real problems. Lots of neglect and lots of decent people being on the receiving of their crime when they got a little older. It was pretty tough but we all knew what was going on. Even as kids we knew all the new babies were just for the cash. Was always very sad.
Politicians passed the policies to reduce child poverty and we ended up surrounded with more child poverty than ever.
Same with single parent households, disability, teen pregnancy, every time the new welfare options came out everyone made sure to make themselves eligible or stopped caring if they fell into it because the system would be a silver lining..
Couple if us went far away soon as we got to 18 and promised we'd never accept any kind of welfare or help pay for it. We all do pretty well, good homes, jobs, saving etc.
Will never accept a handout as long as I live. Everyone in our family since had been brought up the same.
