Poll: Financial security needed before having children

Monday, November 16th 2009

The majority of Britons believe it is important to be financially secure before having children, according to a new survey.

About 64 per cent of respondents to the poll carried out by the Future Foundation for National Savings & Investment (NS&I) said people should have a stable income before they start a family.

One-fifth of Britons also revealed that they would consider not having children due to the high cost of raising them.

Fewer than three in ten people stated that money should not be an issue when deciding to have children.

"Starting a family is always going to be much more than a purely economic decision, though for some the financial requirement is clearly an income of £25,000 per year," remarked Tim Mack, spokesman for NS&I Savings.

One in four parents do not have any investments or savings in place for financial emergencies, according to a recent Abbey survey.