Outing rape victims: A new Tory low
 

Apparently things are not quite austere enough, so the plan is this: If your third child was the result of a rape you can only have the money if you're prepared to fill in a form and tell the world.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/po...ctims-10293763

It's a terrible clause as it stands, victims and their children shouldn't be made to reveal their identities if they don't want to in order to receive help that they SHOULD be entitled to anyway. It's barbaric.

The rape clause has been covered a lot recently in Scotland. I'm glad more people are now finding out about this because it's absolutely disgusting in this day and age

Surely the form will/should be confidential.
If a rape is reported to the police and goes to court should be a consideration as well.
I can see reasoning behind needing some sort of back up for claims, otherwise it would be open to false claims.

Wow... that's shameful.

You only need a third party like a gp or social worker to confirm it. The world need not know.

What I thought was shocking was the comment in the letter "... the hatred and resentment I felt towards my baby". That's something I wouldn't want necessarily to share with the world.

I would have thought the morning after pill would be offered to rape victims immediately.
To carry a baby and feel hatred and resentment must be horrendous.

That's not very well thought out is it.

Just another badly thought out plan and form from a truly uncaring and extreme Party in govt.

Bad enough living with the after effects of a rape than to then be forced to go through it again on a claim form.

Surely decency is well and truly out the window if people can still feel this form is right from any govt.no matter what Party or Parties make up said govt.

Funny thing is, her aninomity is more at risk with this letter being read out than it would ever be if she had applied.

That's actually quite true.

Fortunately we don't know who the woman or her child is but she did go on to say that she now loves her child who thrives in a happy family.

I struggle with how a Parliament rammed with male MPs can decide that this is in any way appropriate.

How so?

So say the government want to put a two child cap on benefits to stop these people who think having kids is a career choice.
Should they
A - Just say that if a third child is conceived through rape then 'tough luck,Sorry no benefits for that kid'?
Or should they
B - Say 'no,we will fund that child as it's not the fault of the mother'?

If option B is the fairest then how do they go about differentiating between valid and false claimants?

I don't know the answer but if the government are in the wrong then what is the right answer?

I don't see why the government should fund any children. If people want children they must pay for them themselves.

Child tax credit are for parents who work but are low earners.

Think of it as a government loan. Every child born in this country is used as collateral for government borrowing. They base that collateral on the child growing up and being a long term tax payer. If people stopped having children because they couldn't personally afford them without a bit of help the future economy would fail because there wouldn't be enough people.

Look into it, maybe some research first before the histrionics.

Tend to agree with this one, surely it is just to stop fraudulent claims ,hard to know the best thing to do really:conf:

Whatever the answer is it shouldn't be this stress intruding claim form for sure in my view.

This is the problem when full consideration and proper compassionate planning is not done by the govt who bring such plans into being.

It's a total disgrace anyone raped has to fill in this form and be made to relive it over again.
In rape,there is likely to be police or medics that have been involved in dealing with the traumatic after effects of the horrific incident.

Their word should be enough without forcing the victim to go through the trauma of dwelling on it again.
Especially if after keeping the child they have moved on in their life with said child too.

Then to have a govt obsessed with saving pittances while ignoring the much bigger fish,bringing in a totally insensitive policy that takes no account of the stress likely to be caused on a standardised claim form.

This should be disgraceful,from any govt.,it is to me but why am I not surprised since it's come from the Cons,that universal condemnation is not forthcoming.

Is there anywhere that you can read this form, it would be interesting to read exactly what the questions are.
If the rape has been reported, then as Joey has said, there should be some sort of record to support her claim.
I dread to think that someone in an office has to read the whole scenario of the actual rape, not fair on either the rape victim or the person reading it.

The independent has a better explanation if you search for "is the rape clause confidential"

Thanks parmnion, I will see if I can find it.

Ah, just read it.
All looks pretty confidential to me then.
So a report of the rape to the police does count as proof, even if the case is not proved in court, I am pleased about that.
You can also claim rape in a relationship as long as you are prepared for the man not to gain by the tax credit as well. So get rid of the tosser.
All seems reasonable to me.

I think, when limiting family benefits, a rape clause is necessary BUT I don't think expecting a victim to relive the trauma to use benefits they need and are entitled to is not at all right. Rape is not a claim that should be proved for benefits, it's unworkable to do so and a cruel way of limiting the use of benefits that people are entitled to because most women will not feel comfortable going through with reliving their trauma again and they shouldn't be forced to either.