Having babies for money

[COMINATCHA]

I was watching the news the other night, and I saw a story that really bothered me to the point where I need to vent in here about it.

I'm not sure if it's the same in other places, but here in Australia since 30 June 2001, women get paid $3000 when they have a baby. It's called the 'baby bonus,' and was brought in to help struggling mothers afford to raise a child and most importantly, increase the population. Australian women weren't having enough babies, and the government was getting worried, so they figured this would be a good incentive for women to get babies popping out left right and center.

Well it worked extremely well. My mum works in the maternity ward at a hospital, and she is run off her feet at work now more than ever - more and more women are having babies now.

It's all good in a way - except for the money hungry women who have kids PURELY for the bonus.

The story I saw was about this one woman in particular who admits to giving birth to 7 children just so she can get the money and avoid having to work. While they were interviewing her, you could see she was pregnant with yet another poor child who would be born into a family purely for cash.

It made me really angry, especially when they asked if she would tell the children about it when they were older, and she responded with
"Yea, i'll tell them. Ya gotta be honest with ya kids dont cha?" :eek:
Imagine telling your child that!? I was just disgusted.

She went on to say that it's great having all these kids and getting money from the tax payers to help support her, as well as the baby bonus.

I wanted to slap her, I really did. It makes me sick, and I can't believe the nerve of that woman, especially showing her face on T.V for everyone to see.

GGGRRRRRRR

[Binky]

As far as I know Centre link is now combatting this by making people who have been on the benifits for a long time, go and look for work, and actully GET a job....not sure about tall the details. BUT anyways, I had a feeling as soon as the new 'baby bonus' thing came out there would be woman who would use it to get the money and avoid having a job...some people have even gotten to the point where they are getting so much money they have actully gone and got a house and they're using the benifits to pay it off!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BLUGERS!!!!! Thats what they are!!!!!!!! Making it bad for the rest who actulally NEED the money!!!!!!!

[NightAngel]

Aside from the possible abusers- that's a nice thing. :)
Then again- $3,000 wouldn't even come close to paying for the hospital stay either.

[Ree]

We had a 'baby bonus' in Canada for many years. Our system was set up a little differently.
We didn't get a huge lump of cash up front, but in monthly payments.
Yeah, there were a few who abused the system, but as far as I know, there weren't too many who had babies simply to get that monthly cheque from the government.

Now, it's called a tax credit, and is based on income. There are probably some who have figured out that sitting around collecting benefits from all the social programs nets them a higher amount than actually working, because of the added expense of paying for childcare, so they just pop out babies left and right while we pay for them, but it's not like a person can get rich having babies.

[Retail's Bitch]

We had a 'baby bonus' in Canada for many years. Our system was set up a little differently.
We didn't get a huge lump of cash up front, but in monthly payments.
Yeah, there were a few who abused the system, but as far as I know, there weren't too many who had babies simply to get that monthly cheque from the government.

Now, it's called a tax credit, and is based on income. There are probably some who have figured out that sitting around collecting benefits from all the social programs nets them a higher amount than actually working, because of the added expense of paying for childcare, so they just pop out babies left and right while we pay for them, but it's not like a person can get rich having babies.

When did it change Ree? It's been awhile since I lived at home - and I don't have any sprogs of my own - so I didn't even know it changed... Oddness.

[Ree]

I believe it was around 1998, or so that the CCTB came into effect in Canada.

[Retail's Bitch]

I believe it was around 1998, or so that the CCTB came into effect in Canada.

So it doesn't work like baby bonus - cuz people still refer to it as baby bonus... Does it still come at the end of the month? I constantly have mother saying to me. "Well can I pay for it when I pick it up? Because that's when my baby bonus comes in..." And I always just assumed it was the same as it always had been.

[Ree]

The cheques still come at the same time as they always did. It's still referred to as 'baby bonus' by people.
The difference now is that it's based on the income tax return for the previous year, and is reevaluated every year in July.
So, instead of someone earning $40,000 a year getting the same amount as a person earning less than $20,000, the lower income person gets more.

[Greenday]

Funny how some places are worried about increasing the population while other countries are more focused on keeping the world from being overpopulated. This would have made a lot more sense a couple hundred years ago but in this day and age, is it really so necessary?

[Kiwi]

Aside from the possible abusers- that's a nice thing. :)
Then again- $3,000 wouldn't even come close to paying for the hospital stay either.

Im fairly sure Aussie has a socialised medical care system just like NZ

they dont have to pay for the hospital stay, the government does

[Athena]

Im fairly sure Aussie has a socialised medical care system just like NZ

they dont have to pay for the hospital stay, the government does

Yeah, that's about the way it works. The government over here decided that we had too many aged and retiring people in the population, so they've got this push for more people to have kids. ONe of our dickhead politicians told us to have 'one child for the family and one for the government.'

[Crazyredhead]

And what about all the mothers that are just throwing there babies in the trash. Rather than bring a new baby into the world, why not adopt those babies and end the child homeless situation. There are alot of children and babies that have nothing but a mother that wants to be on welfare so that she doens't have to work. I have nothing against babies but lets take care of what we already have instead of bringing another innocent babe into the world.

I am going to get fixed pretty soon and I have always wanted to adopt a child that is completely out of me and my husbands race. I want to give a child that would otherwise have nothing a chance at a good life and love. I have enough love for all of gods children. http://users.pandora.be/eforum/emoticons4u/happy/057.gif

http://www.mysmilie.de/smilies/big/2/img/007.gif

[COMINATCHA]

And what about all the mothers that are just throwing there babies in the trash. Rather than bring a new baby into the world, why not adopt those babies and end the child homeless situation. There are alot of children and babies that have nothing but a mother that wants to be on welfare so that she doens't have to work. I have nothing against babies but lets take care of what we already have instead of bringing another innocent babe into the world

That's very true, it reminds me of how people buy pets from the pet store rather than from a shelter. If pet store pets aren't sold, they have owners to go back to, but the ones in the shelter are eventually destroyed if no one wants them. Sorry if that was a really bad comparison! lol.

I wonder if the baby bonus would be paid out to a mother that adopts a baby..?

[XCashier]

I wonder if the baby bonus would be paid out to a mother that adopts a baby..?
If it isn't, it should be.

[Ree]

Well...why don't you research and get the facts for us, since this is in your country?
That way we will all know before spending a lot of time arguing for something that may already be in place.

[Rapscallion]

http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:TP-pmJiTTaIJ:www.pwcservices.com/pwc_serv%255Cias%255Ciasmarketing.nsf/0DA6CF627184CCA686256C0D00624178/%24File/Australia%2B-%2BFirst%2BChild%2BTax%2BOffset.pdf%3FOpenElement+ australian+baby+bonus+adoption&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6

Tada - Google provides.

In short, yes, it counts for adoption as well.

Rapscallion

[Spiffy McMoron]

We had a 'baby bonus' in Canada for many years. Our system was set up a little differently.
We didn't get a huge lump of cash up front, but in monthly payments.
Yeah, there were a few who abused the system, but as far as I know, there weren't too many who had babies simply to get that monthly cheque from the government.

I'm not sure if this was the same or different than what you are talking about, Ree, but I heard on the radio that couples who have a child are entitled to get (I think) $1200 from the government to spend on what they wish for the child-daycare, education fund, diapers, whatever. Or did I mis-hear the radio?

[Ree]

I'm not sure if this was the same or different than what you are talking about, ReeI believe that's a fairly new program for lower income families, or families with small children. I think it's called a Child Care Benefit, or something.
It could also be a program specific to your province, Spiffy, as I know Alberta has something like that in place.

[Zombi]

Funny how some places are worried about increasing the population while other countries are more focused on keeping the world from being overpopulated. This would have made a lot more sense a couple hundred years ago but in this day and age, is it really so necessary?

Ageing population, and zero population growth (in terms of births and deaths). The only real growth in population comes from immigration, and good luck getting in here (they almost wouldn't let me back in last year, and I'm a citizen :wtf: ).
Me, I'm doing my bit by having a plastic plant instead of a child. ;)