to think a £7500 income cap on free school meals is a deathwish?

[thirdhill]

I'm so shocked to see the Children's Society analysis reported in most papers today about proposals to introduce a £7500 income cap on free school meals.

My initial reaction is this is sheer vindictiveness, taking away a meal from kids in dire need. Will the money spent on a daily lunch for a few children save our economy? Or perhaps we can be relied on to not care anymore? Or is there a wider picture nobody is reporting? My understanding is that the present income cap is £16k, which already seems a challenge for a family of say four.

Sarah Teather, the Minister, is a lib dem MP but this must tar both parties for many and seems an absolute deal breaker for mobile voters. Straw that broke the camel's back, death wish, etc.

Curious if anyone knows any more to this.

TIA

[PosieParker]

Good gracious yes, school meals at our school are £2.20 per day and they are shit.

[PosieParker]

Thanks for raising this issue.

[Northernlurker]

It doesn't say they are going to set the level at that point though does it? I agree it would be an awful policy. But it's the Tories - what do you expect. utter, utter bastards. Role on the election and lets kick these gits in to outer darkness (oh yes and the Lib dems too!)

[OldGreyWiffleTest]

Unfortunately, because Labour just spent and spent, and borrowed and borrowred, and sold all our gold at a pittance, the country is in Shit Street. If we had an election tomorrow we would still be in Shit Street.

Unfortunately we are ALL paying the price for unscrupulous Governments.

[snice]

the present income cap isnt £16000 where we live-DH (self employed) earned less than this but is topped up with working tax credits which means we are ineligible for school meals

[TheCunningStunt]

That is ridiculous. Ours are £1.90 for a meal. DS has a packed lunch that probably costs half that in reality. YANBU

[2shoes]

they really hate the poor don't they, now they want the poor kids to starve

[theDevilHasTheBestMNNames]

How is having hungry distracted DC in class going to help learning?

While I don't think school dinners are as nutritious as claimed and are expensive, 1.90 here which for more than one DC adds up, some DC packed lunches are unbelievably unhealthy.

Cheap food can tend towards the unhealthy so probably won't help with child obesity rates and nutrition is linked to brain development and poor diets have sometimes been linked to certain behavioral issues.

Seems like a short term money saving at expense of long term.

[ramblinrose]

A £7500 income cap is very low. I find that shocking.

[PosieParker]

Bollocks to labour spending and spending. Money may have to be carefully spent but to constantly fuck the poor is not inevitable...it is the path the Tories have chosen.

[DogEared]

Are they really considering this?

I always thought it was simplistic to think that the Tories were posh and rich and only looked after their own, but I am getting to the point where it does look that simple. They hate anyone that's not like them.

[noblegiraffe]

Oh fuck. Free school meals is also how they assess for the Pupil Premium which schools should use to help fund school trips, clubs and so on for the kids who can't afford extras. So basically cutting school funding too.

[theDevilHasTheBestMNNames]

Your right noblegiraffe - my DC school is always on to parents to claim if eligible as they get extra funding .

[NunOnTheRun]

Our dear leaders seem less keen on dealing with b/millionaire tax evaders. Lovely.

[flatpackhamster]

It's all very well wringing your hands about how awful this is. The fact remains that welfare spending doubled under Labour, education spending doubled under Labour, healthcare spending doubled under Labour, and our national debt doubled under Labour.

If you commit to this expenditure, what will you cut in order to pay for it?

[2shoes]

oh perhaps that high speed train

[knowwhenyouhavebeenbeaten]

.

[DogEared]

flatpack I would sort out the ridiculous tax evasion by the billionaires and multinational companies in this country. I wouldn't take a huge financial risk like the Olympics.

[pamplem0usse]

This is obscene. £7500 would mean if your School meal cost £1.90 (the figure being quoted) you would be expected to spend 5% of your annual income PER CHILD on one meal over a years worth of School days (c.180 days). Say you have three children, and have had the misfortune to be made redundant, or had an industrial accident. You're a single parent, you have three children who you were perfectly capable of supporting in your previous job but now you're working in a supermarket over the very short School day because you can't afford childcare. NOT ALL POOR PEOPLE ARE SCROUNGERS.
It's all well and good suggesting these people give their children packed lunches, but through lack of will (often because of social deprivation in your own upbringing), ability and finances School lunch is likely to be the only hot meal of the day. Bloody hell. Often the only meal full stop. And you expect these children to be able to concentrate in lessons. I'm FURIOUS. And B*gger off anyone who tries to make out that we're all suffering, point out to me a millionnaire banker who isn't able to get a hot meal a day.

[ivykaty44]

Seems like a short term money saving at expense of long term.

Every government of this country looks at short term gain - never long term savings - as they know that they only have a short term and then may be voted out again.

Look at northern Europe if you want to talk about governments looking at long term gain, Denmark knows that for every 5 euros spent on bike lanes they will save 3 euros in health care - in the long run.

[noblegiraffe]

I'd cut bonuses and ludicrous pay for bankers in publicly owned banks. I'd cut tax breaks for the wealthy. I'd make corporations pay their tax bills. I'd institute the financial transactions tax (robin hood tax).

Would you prefer to cut free dinners for poor kids?

[pamplem0usse]

flatpack I wouldn't be cutting food from the stomachs of poor children, that's for sure. I'd be taxing the sh*t out of anyone on an income of 100k+ a year..... And they can go and live in Monaco if they'd rather. Useless stupid arguement. Fairer taxation in Sweden doesn't mean the poor get poorer because of the rich going elsewhere.

[Yorkpud]

YANBU - this is a nightmare for any parents who rely on these. Food is so expensive it will massively affect low income families' budgets.

[ivykaty44]

20 million has just been spent by BBC on getting rid of 20 members of staff.

My local council pays 2.5 millions in wages to 6 men in the council each year, they have frozen wages for the staff on lower scales to try to save money.