Teens want baby to land a property, says councillor (From Bicester Advertiser)
When It Happens Panel Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'OXFORD NEWS' to 80360 or email
Teens want baby to land a property, says councillor
7:00pm Friday 13th July 2012 in News
By Amanda Williams
Jenny Hannaby
TEENAGE girls are getting pregnant to land a council house, according to a county councillor.
Wantage county councillor Jenny Hannaby said more needed to be done to address the problem at a meeting of the health overview and scrutiny committee.
According to the latest full year figures, the number of girls aged 18 and under getting pregnant fell slightly across the county.
In 2009, 26 per 1,000 girls fell pregnant, and 22 per 1,000 in 2010. This is broken down to 302 teenage conceptions in 2009 and 251 in 2010.
But according to figures for the first quarter of 2011, the rate is rising with data showing 27 per 1,000 girls conceiving.
NHS Oxfordshire, the county health authority, said full data for 2011 was not yet available.
Ms Hannaby, who is also a Vale of White Horse district and town councillor, said: “There are some people that get pregnant because they feel they can get a council house.
“That has got to be addressed in the districts.”
When Jericho and Osney councillor Susanna Pressel said it was a myth, Ms Hannaby said: “You come around my town and count how many there are.
“I’m talking as a district councillor and I know exactly what’s happening in my area.”
Local authority housing is decided on a banding system.
Priority can be given to people in certain situations, including homeless single parents and those expecting a child.
But Vale of White Horse District Council said there was no priority for women, whether young or not, who become pregnant.
Spokesman Gavin Walton added: “Applicants are assessed on their current living arrangements in line with our housing allocations policy.
“If a pregnant lady approaches us for assistance because she is homeless or threatened with homelessness we would work hard to help prevent her from becoming homeless.”
Oxford City has the highest rate of teen conceptions, with 33.6 per 1,000 girls falling pregnant.
It is followed by Cherwell with 25.1 and South Oxfordshire with 24.3 per 1,000.
Comments(46)
Ross J
says...
8:06pm Fri 13 Jul 12
As far as they are concerned it's a lifestyle choice, that's the most worrying thing.
yardie
says...
8:30pm Fri 13 Jul 12
snert
says...
8:48pm Fri 13 Jul 12
How is it that councillors can be so out of touch?
GTS kiddy
says...
9:37pm Fri 13 Jul 12
Unitedwestand81
says...
10:13pm Fri 13 Jul 12
nicole0134
says...
10:15pm Fri 13 Jul 12
Lord Palmerstone
says...
9:07am Sat 14 Jul 12
steve1955
says...
9:45am Sat 14 Jul 12
winger whitley
says...
11:00am Sat 14 Jul 12
Andrew:Oxford
says...
11:40am Sat 14 Jul 12
winger whitley wrote:It's a shame she didn't reply with the message:-
Good old Jenny, ever the opportunist. See a bandwagon and climb aboard. When a emailed her about an £80,000 sports field that has been open best part of five years (in Mably Way) and only used on 4 occasions. I asked a legitimate question about why and who authorised it - she never answered. Typical politician I say and perhaps she should keep her snout out of the newspapers and just get on with things. Oh, and do the honorable thing and answer a genuine question about a serious waste of council's (our) money.
"If you can email, you've clearly got access to the internet. Why not Google the query, the information is all published on the relevant official websites."
It took me all of a moment to find the answer to your quesions. Why not do the honorable thing and find the answers for yourself without wasting the councils (your fellow residents) money? ;-)
winger whitley
says...
11:54am Sat 14 Jul 12
jacoxford
says...
5:30pm Sat 14 Jul 12
Andrew:Oxford
says...
7:04pm Sat 14 Jul 12
winger whitley wrote:No, just pointing out personal and fiscal wastefulness of asking a question you would appear to already have the answer to.
Andrew of Oxford an apologist for our shameful leaders. You don't think these people deserve to be put on the spot then? I suggest you crawl back into the woodwork from whence you came please!
Clearly you personally had something else in mind for this particular piece of land and the current situation is causing you a great deal of distress.
Why not write to the councillor and suggest your alternative use? Perhaps social housing, perhaps a new supermarket for the town?
Perhaps even sell it to a developer for luxury housing?
Lord Palmerstone
says...
5:03pm Sun 15 Jul 12
steve1955 wrote:I guessed this would come. Aggressive welfarism is a necessary but not a sufficient reason for a young woman to have a child she is not yet equipped to care for. OK? If Cameron had the guts to say "the bandwagon stops in 40 weeks and 6 days" a great deal of misery would be avoided. Sadly he hasn't.Point of information: my father did not fight in the war so that I should pay taxes to support young women who reproduce with no interest in financial support for their child/ren. If you have read otherwise , it is false. I guarantee that.
What a right bunch some councillors and people who comment on her words are , not all young girls deliberatly get pregnant to get accomodation and benefits does this councillor want a FINAL SOLUTION for the problem before she comments further she sholud apologise to the majority of young women who either dont milk the system or end im sure there are many females at the universities in Oxford who are not claiming benefits and getting pregnant but there are many councillors using their positions to dictate what others should do >the world we live in is a mix of all types of people we dont need those with more than others dictating how we all shall live i thought the wars were fought to create a free world but it seems I was wrong
davyboy
says...
7:05pm Sun 15 Jul 12
steve1955
says...
8:42pm Sun 15 Jul 12
Mazikan
says...
10:09pm Sun 15 Jul 12
and some who take the necessary steps to rectify their mistakes without having to rely on us taxpayers to pay for their careless and selfish mistakes.
steve1955
says...
11:25pm Sun 15 Jul 12
Not everone can take the neccessary steps we have high umemployment with a poor jobs market with have an ageing population working longer to survive we have a corrupt banking system getting billions from the taxpayer and you an others want to slag the peasants off which all this amounts to i am an atheist but i have a more christian attitude to others than most someone who is severly disabled is selfish by your thinking and sholdnt rely on taxpayers what do you want a workhouse for them and the single mothers you so despise the im alright jack attitude some take is beyond belief remember the saying there but for the grace of -----------------
Lord Palmerstone
says...
9:18am Mon 16 Jul 12
steve1955 wrote:Steve, if you want to give money to charity, do it. Don't bleat on here.It is your lot who'd send me to prison for not paying for young women to have babies they knew they couldn't afford. So don't get high and mighty with us you self-righteous person.
The last 2 comments must come from people who do no wrong are perfect and dont give a toss for others in this world there are many people some who have it all and some who make mistakes and have to rely on the state for help this is a mark of a decent society why must people be so judgemental of others i suspect they are the haves not the have nots
NinjaBiscuits
says...
10:52am Mon 16 Jul 12
Lord Palmerstone wrote:Yes I'm sure they all CHOOSE to have a baby whilst they're so young. It's probably not at all an accident (yes even using the pill and/or protection it can still happen, so get off your high horse). What if they decided a termination wasn't for them? What if their lovely partner decided he didn't want anything to do with them? Yes, I'm sure these young women choose this life. And Steve is the self righteous one? Give me a break!
steve1955 wrote:Steve, if you want to give money to charity, do it. Don't bleat on here.It is your lot who'd send me to prison for not paying for young women to have babies they knew they couldn't afford. So don't get high and mighty with us you self-righteous person.
The last 2 comments must come from people who do no wrong are perfect and dont give a toss for others in this world there are many people some who have it all and some who make mistakes and have to rely on the state for help this is a mark of a decent society why must people be so judgemental of others i suspect they are the haves not the have nots
steve1955
says...
11:04am Mon 16 Jul 12
thanks for the support im in no way self righteous i just know we dont live in a perfect world like some???????????????/
Lord Palmerstone
says...
11:41am Mon 16 Jul 12
Dilligaf2010
says...
11:51am Mon 16 Jul 12
They're not a right, they're a privilege.
steve1955
says...
1:46pm Mon 16 Jul 12
And you decide who is genuine and where do the others go there are systems in place to decide who needs what change the system
xjohnx
says...
2:35pm Mon 16 Jul 12
steve1955 wrote:What planet???
What a right bunch some councillors and people who comment on her words are , not all young girls deliberatly get pregnant to get accomodation and benefits does this councillor want a FINAL SOLUTION for the problem before she comments further she sholud apologise to the majority of young women who either dont milk the system or end im sure there are many females at the universities in Oxford who are not claiming benefits and getting pregnant but there are many councillors using their positions to dictate what others should do >the world we live in is a mix of all types of people we dont need those with more than others dictating how we all shall live i thought the wars were fought to create a free world but it seems I was wrong
Arkright
says...
9:01pm Mon 16 Jul 12
steve1955
says...
9:59pm Mon 16 Jul 12
To all the people who might object to the rail upgrade how do they get about in a car that pollutes or a train that disturbs someone during its journey maybe ab=n airplane that flies over someones home but hey they dont want any of this near them please tell me how they have a right to complain and oppose
Arkright
says...
10:11pm Mon 16 Jul 12
oafie
says...
12:28pm Tue 17 Jul 12
And yes there are thousands of us in the Have Not group as we chose not to expect to live off the state. Try working and putting off children until you can afford them, or indeed even until you get a permanent partner not just the conception LOL many of us did, now trapped in poverty and squalid housing.
In fact the only way you seem to be able to get a home in this county is by having a baby and not working, and keep on producing them, as then it is the child's need for a home.
No one seems at all bothered by this; it has been going for on yeras now in Oxford. Well done to you all
HAH
says...
1:48pm Tue 17 Jul 12
Lady Penelopee
says...
2:59pm Tue 17 Jul 12
The hostels should be council/government run by some sort of care assistants/mentors, who then offer FREE childcare during the day so that they can either continue their education, pursue training, or get a job to save up enough money for their own accommodation.
(those not willing to study, work or train should be made to earn their keep in other ways)
Council houses should be prioritised for those earning minimum wage, who struggle to pay private rents.
davyboy
says...
4:30pm Tue 17 Jul 12
steve1955 wrote:i am not perfect, but i do pay my own way, without resorting to any help. all i am saying is that we shouldn't help people who have families without being able to support them
The last 2 comments must come from people who do no wrong are perfect and dont give a toss for others in this world there are many people some who have it all and some who make mistakes and have to rely on the state for help this is a mark of a decent society why must people be so judgemental of others i suspect they are the haves not the have nots
NinjaBiscuits
says...
5:30pm Tue 17 Jul 12
Lord Palmerstone wrote:I think you'll find that this 2 to 3% of all teenage girls is in fact the very definition of "once in a blue moon".
Everything you describe no doubt happens once in a blue moon and these lasses have no families or friends to help etc etc etc but why should everyone be forced to pitch in? It's about charity, isn't it, not about what tax should go for? You believe that saying I have to lose a great deal of my income to spend on what you think it should be spent on makes you "compassionate"
. Well it doesn't. It never has , however many exclamation marks you put after each word.
NinjaBiscuits
says...
5:33pm Tue 17 Jul 12
NinjaBiscuits wrote:To back this up, there is plenty of statistics to show that as much as up to 50% of all pregnancies in UK and America are unplanned, no matter the age.
Lord Palmerstone wrote:I think you'll find that this 2 to 3% of all teenage girls is in fact the very definition of "once in a blue moon".
Everything you describe no doubt happens once in a blue moon and these lasses have no families or friends to help etc etc etc but why should everyone be forced to pitch in? It's about charity, isn't it, not about what tax should go for? You believe that saying I have to lose a great deal of my income to spend on what you think it should be spent on makes you "compassionate"
. Well it doesn't. It never has , however many exclamation marks you put after each word.
e.g. http://news.bbc.co.u
k/1/hi/health/351540
0.stm
BackontheMainland
says...
6:43pm Tue 17 Jul 12
icecreamlady
says...
7:37pm Tue 17 Jul 12
e.g. http://news.bbc.co.u
k/1/hi/health/351540
0.stm
WOW statistics and damned statistics hey - this report dates from 2004 the most recent data set shows Oxfordshire has a teenage conception rate of 26.1 per 1000 (2009 figures) under 18 year olds which equates to approximately 175 births to teenage mothers a year compare that to the national figure which is about 42%. Then compare to Oxfordshires population of 63550 thats about 0.27%. In fact the majority of single parent families are those who are in that position due to divorce or bereavement who have to turn to social housing as there are not that many council houses left, they sold most of them.
Major Rhode-Werks
says...
9:59pm Tue 17 Jul 12
As for there being no council houses left as they have been sold; I really don't see how that has made much difference as the occupants would still be in them if they were renting so the houses would still be unavailable to people on the waiting list. Perhaps the explosion of immigration is the biggest contributor to the shortage of housing - a million fewer immigrant families here would surely mean a million more homes available for people already in the country - and before you all throw the accusation - I am not being racist, just stating the facts as I see them.
Buntcuster
says...
9:02am Wed 18 Jul 12
the wizard
says...
8:08am Thu 19 Jul 12
Some teens I am sure do it as a deliberate act as they want to getaway from their parents, for reasons various.
However sex education has questions to answer and why we have a higher rate in this country than our European neighbours.
Perhaps had we not had such a gung-ho attitude to this in the past we wouldn't be facing as many problems in the future, but it seems to be the acceptable British way in parts of our society. When that changes, perhaps this lamentable situation will improve. I strongly believe that it all starts in the family home and the morality there that is taught to the younger members and the examples set by parents.
If gaining housing was made more difficult and the onus was thrown back to the family home to provide then I am sure things would improve. Also making the fathers of these children accountable would help, and if necessary deductions to any benefits being claimed by the fathers being passed on to the mothers for child care.
In France I believe the welfare state provides for the mother and first child, any other children are either not eligible or the mother loses the accommodation and the benefits.
A similar system would help here as many,not all, of these girls continue to produce children by different fathers, the solution is easy, after the first you lose the lot, house, benefits etc and become the responsibility of the mothers parents. Our culture acceptance since the early 1950's simply has not worked. Time for radical reform to stop the epidemic.
simplicissimus
says...
12:47pm Thu 19 Jul 12
the wizard
says...
3:09pm Thu 19 Jul 12
simplicissimus wrote:I can see your point and it is valid, but the whole culture among teens, sex and just having babies has to change in society. This was something bourne out of the late 50's and early 60's and the rest of society has moved on.
Jenny Hannaby's entirely right, and Susanna's out of touch, on this. Central government must tackle baby booming, and start to reduce benefit after the 1st child. After the 2nd, any further child benefit should end.
Here we often find a repeating circumstance where the children of some single parents are falling into the same trap as their mothers instead of raising the bar.
Sex education needs to radically change and the irresponsibility of both partners is not excusable in this day and age. If the girl is not on the pill then it is down to her to make sure the guy puts something on the end of it. Plain and simple, it is down to the participants . Why should the rest of society be burdened with the bill of casual sex, when it is down to those having their fling being stupid.
flynn77
says...
5:47pm Fri 20 Jul 12
steve1955
says...
6:16pm Fri 20 Jul 12
Lets have a debate about how society can change not a debate full of hate for those less fortunate than others remember the welfare state exists for all if you ever find yourself in need its there
flynn77
says...
12:10pm Sat 21 Jul 12
Society can only change by making work rewarding, this can't happen when the tax burden on those that do is crippling because of those that won't.
simplicissimus
says...
9:06pm Sat 21 Jul 12
This is Labour's worst legacy, among many very bad ones. Spot on!
kelbun says...
7:50pm Fri 13 Jul 12