One of the main reasons why some people may be better off on benefit that in going to work is childcare costs. For one child its around £900 per month before tax credits, for two/three its certainly not worth going to work when children are pre school unless your income is circa £60k. It is better for children to be predominantly raised by their parents than by a nursery. So can you blame people for not wanting to go out to work for that reason?

Like a good many people I don't actually agree this mess is all his creation as it appears to be shared amongst most European countries and globally. There was increased expenditure only in the latter years of the Labour Goverment. ( remember 'Prudence'?). If it weren't for some of the actions he took we would be in a much worse mess than we are now. Thats an opinion actually shared by some of the right wing press.