I have no works pension to speak of and no private one all my income will come from my own investments but, although they look not bad at the moment, believe me they are just as fraught and just as liable to go belly up if I misjudge my portfolio .  I would like a nice works pension with a large organisation spreading the risk and future employees cushioning the posibility that I might make very old bones.

I have no works pension either.  The earnings related was a government thingy!   I will only have a small private pension that I paid into for 11 years - just enough to stop me getting any top up from the basic pension and some income because I have chosen to downsize where I live, so that I can continue to be self sufficient and not live in a bigger home and claim for everything that's on offer. :( 
It's not the people who claim that I object to (only the fraudsters!), it's the system that pays out to anyone who chooses not to be responsible for themselves.  So many people do what they want to do rather than make a careful choice as what might be the right decision, and expect the rest of us to pay for them.:(
I have no objection to anyone doing whatever they want to do with their lives - have 20 children, live in a tent and not work, get drunk every night of the week, take 10 wives if it makes everyone happy, so long as they don't expect all those who pay their own council tax and income tax to pay for them.:rolleyes:
Off soap box now and into the bath! :D

Don't worry, if they are relying on the state pension your tent dwelling, polygamists are not going to be living high wide and handsome :)

I sometimes think the shoebox under the bed is the only way of retaining control of your own money.

Isabel, did you swallow a dictionary this morning? :D :)

Sorry, did I frighten you with their fecundity? :D

I clearly haven't swallowed a dictionary because I spelt nulliparous wrongly :D

That's why I couldn't find it then!

I think it was 'nulliparous' ;) that had us all leaping to Dictionary.com! :D

So I could have been a simple nullipara :)
whoops, or simply a nullipara :D

'Simple'? ;) :D

I thought you would enjoy that little slip :o :)

Whoops did I start something :)

Ok my opinion on this ;)

I personally feel any one of my daughters had a baby that young is a waste of life. Although it depends on if you feel SAHM (Stay at home mummies) is the way you or your offspring want to live ;)

I think life is there for living and having a baby that young is depriving somebody to develop into the persons true potential. Women are not just baby machines ;)

Flo and Indigo will be brought up to believe their true potential 

Lucy
xx

I hope you have your tin hat on Lucy :D

I would be proud of my daughter (opr any of my sons) if they chose to stay at home and look after their children - at 17. 20 or 30 - whenever! Infact, I would far rather my daughter have a baby younger and re-ignite her career after - like I did - than find out that she's over the hill and can't have children when is too late to get help :)

IF my daughter was pregnant at 17 I would support her in whatever way I could in order for her to live her life as much as possible. Its not a death sentence to have a baby young :D

TIN HAT ON :D

Carla I think you are thinking that as you have a happy life that is quite secure as you have many dogs, quite a few horses lots of land etc ;) I am not having a pop at you at all ;)

Imagine you in a two bedroom house with a couple of kids one of which comes home saying they are up the duff
Lucy
xx

Oooh, Lucy - it's a bit insulting saying that about 'Stay at home mummies' isn't it :(

Daisy

Just to put you all straight , i have taken in the comments about the state paying for the offspring of
teenage mothers,I have read, and I thank you, the comments from posters offering great support.
Let me give you some background info. my daughter is 17 just about to turn 18 has been in a stable relationship with the dad for 2 yrs. Gave them  'the talk, you know 'condoms 'etc ' january this year and warned them of the dangers etc. etc. (did giving them the talk spark this i wonder :rolleyes:)             

he has a fulltime job
she has a partime job.

and any other expenses with be covered by me no doubt.
looking forward  to have a hand in bringing this child up and extending my family
' won't rely on the state to do it '
anyhoo A Big thankyou for all your comments and advice all taken on board
You all have been a big help

Donna :-)

Donna, you didn't have to tell us all that, but thank you for being honest :)

My case is different, and how My daughter is 24 (25 in November) works 7 hours or so a week, has had mental health issues thanks to an abusive step-father (my ex of several years :) ) Her bf is in London, she is near Aberdeen. I don't know much about him, but they have been seeing one another for a couple of years. If that is what you can call it, as they only see one another every couple of months or so. Will he help out? I really don't know. She lives with her father (I asked her to leave last year :) ) and his fiancee, both of whom suffer from manic depression. :( She is about 2 months gone. I am not looking forward to this baby. She is not ready for it. I just don't think that she is mature enough, but then again it may be the making of her. She still hasn't told me, by the way Her brother did :D

This is just to show that age shouldn't be a serious matter in this. Mental age is far more important. Or should I be saying maturity?

you just need to be there and support them.
look on the positve side like i have,
  your kids are going to have kids sooner or later
no matter what thier age is Thats life.:-)
kids an have kids
my girl is mature enough to handle this situation.
sorry you have issues and i know that its hard trying to deal with things
buy  things will get beter when you

hold your first grandchild in your hands

Being child of single mother my Mum worked hard to bring me up with help from wonderful grandparent none from my Father I am 30 now no children yet sadly Single Mums in a lot of cases rock and my Mum has always worked hard. Good luck mdacey

A teenage mother at 17yrs does not get benifitsThe mother or babys father, has to support them both.
The baby will be intitiled to child benifit like every one eles when it is born.
No person mother with baby or not gets benifit until they are 18yrs old.

I did, i had my son at 17 and was on income support!

A teenage mother at 17yrs does not get benifitsThe mother or babys father, has to support them both.
The baby will be intitiled to child benifit like every one eles when it is born.
No person mother with baby or not gets benifit until they are 18yrs old

Sorry but you are way off the mark, I(as I have written a good few times)used to be an Interviewing/visiting officer with the DWP(previously DSS/DHS)& I interviewed loads of under 18 mums(& dads )regarding their claims & benefits.These start before the baby is born(7 weeks before EDC if memory serves me right)

They can claim CHB(Child Benefit)& CTC(Child Tax Credit)for the baby + the baby savings money & a lump sum for things like cot etc & Income Support for themselves as anyone who has a child under 16 is not required(well they weren't 3 years ago)to seek work, but parents with children over 2(I think it is 2) can get special help to seek work as the government funds child care for all children over 2 until they get to school age(might not meet the full cost depending on the nursery fees)

They can also get housing benefit if they are in their own home

There are lots of reasons that young girls get pregnant-we don't have a very good record as parents & education providers on sex education & safe sex advice & contraception. Even since there have been fertile young girls there have been young unmarried single mums.

It was quite funny when I worked for the DWP the staff who selected our interviews used to give me all the young mums(& dads)as they knewe I would not be judgemental about why they had children so young, something that could not be said of my colleagues(especially others in my age group & older) Why was it funny-because I actively dislike babies & made sure that I never became a parent myself ! I just do not do babies & children Puppies, kittens etc yes ;)

If the young lady in question decides to keep her baby I wish her all the best, she clearly has a very caring family & if I can help re benefits etc she can claim let me know by PM

There is a discussion thread on another forum I am a member of which would be an excellent form of contraception for teenage girls, in fact for anyone.  It's certainly put me off having children, though I am unusually squeamish.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=247344

Brilliant thread !!

I concur arched....;-)

Damn, they've just merged it with another thread - you need to go just over half way down page 23, to the post entitled "Biggest Pregnancy Secret".  I learnt a lot, I can tell you.  I am currently erecting a 6ft fence down the middle of the bed so OH can't come near me.

:D I suggest every woman that gives birth to a surprise poo insists that her husband does one in public before he is ever allowed to impregnate her

LOL.  Well that would be an effective alternative to bromide in the tea...