Upcoming elections

[Niall]

Secondly, I believe that a cash payment for child benefit shouldn't exist. I feel that instead of incentivising having more children by paying out more cash for having them, we should spend the same amount overall on the child benefits scheme, but give them out in different ways. Things like free childcare so that single mothers can work a couple of days a week to supplement some of their benefits or stay in education. This would prevent single parents in tough economic situations becoming 100% dependant on their benefits for well over a decade, or would help single parents to stay in education and training so that as their kids grow up they are learning skills and staying sharp, instead of raising kids for 16 odd years and then suddenly being at a total loss and having no work experience and no education.

Jeez, I hope you never have kids!

Child Benefit can be and is claimed by even the very wealthy. It is so minuscule that it won't even cover the cost of a pack of nappies or keep a child fed for a week. It is but a tiny aid to make these things more affordable, and I don't honestly believe someone could 'rely' on CB alone for anything! The more children you have the more benefit you receive - correct, however it's not 'double' what it is for 2 children what it is for 1, it doesn't work like that.

I honestly believe there is nothing wrong with the CB structure, other than it not being enough! :p

The real problem lies in people popping sprogs so they have more dependencies and overnight they become more 'entitled' to bigger houses etc.

I don't see how you can say its not enough. Correct its not enough to raise a child on but thats not the point of it. You shouldn't be having children if you can't afford to raise them by your own means IMO. Child benefit is just a bonus that a lot of countries don't even get.
If however you have children when you are capable of supporting them but then something happens (loose your job for example) then when you go on benefits this will take into account looking after your child which i do think is fair.