Wrong to penalise larger families

Many of these are families where both parents work but with low wages and high child care and housing costs,they are struggling.

It is reckoned that there are three million children in the UK classed as living in poverty. Food banks are over-stretched, while the rich become richer.

Do the general public realise that the government has capped Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit so there is no increase for the third or subsequent child unless it is born as a result of rape? This means that parents applying for Child Tax Credit are confronted with questions about rape.

When a third child was born recently to members of the Royal Family, there was discussion about the advantages of being in a three child family.

There was little mention of the financial hardship caused by the cap on Child Tax Credit.

The One Child policy in China caused severe social problems. In the UK there is a growing elderly population who will need support from the working age population.

There will be fewer EU and overseas migrants to fill the gaps in the labour market so we should encourage larger families,not penalising them.

Margaret Marshall,Belfast BT8