'Shameless' families cost £8bn a year

Shameless families like the Gallaghers are costing taxpayers' too much money. Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles has vowed to target unruly households which, he claims, are costing the state up to £300,000 each per year. That's around £8bn a year based on around 120,000 families. A spread of state agencies - social services, police, the NHS - deal with problem UK families. But Pickles wants a more targeted approach.