To ask why do people not working claiming FSM get this for free?

The op has a point. And I say that as someone whose children DO get free school meals. No free holiday clubs here but my dc wouldn’t be able to attend anyway.

My dc aren’t disadvantaged. And I have been worse off financially in the past when just above the threshold for free school meals.

I actually think those people working full time in low income jobs are worse off than anyone.

PP doesn't equal FSM forever, it doesn't work like that.

The club's are rarely all that if I'm honest and this isn't the parent getting more money, it's the child leaving the house. Take up is crap anyway as the quality is often shoddy and parents aren't keen for their kids to only be at a club thats only for kids on FSM.

@WithACatLikeTread having a mortgage makes you a damn site less 'poor' than someone like me who doesn't! You may be 'cash poor' but you have a very large asset that continues to accumulate wealth and one day you will own it outright. It is disingenuous for you to claim otherwise. I will likely never own my own home and as a unit we are not entitled to any UC either.

Thank you, @TeenLifeMum. I've also worked with kids in that situation, and some of them just need adult attention and care. Very few people would begrudge them that, if they understood the situation.

Unless it's changed you don't get fsm if you're working a certain amount. Even if it's the lowest amount of hours on the lowest wage.

Pupil Premium however continues thought the primary school years so you may get reduced trips or music lessons but you don't fsm.

It's my understanding though that parents can be entitled to fsm but then the situation can change so may find work but the eligibility to fsm and all the other things like the clubs continues until the end of the child's key stage? So parents situation much better but the pupil premium continues. Can see in this instance how it would seem pretty unfair to others on a similar wage but getting nothing for free.

It's more than the cost of the meal. Why do more people not know this? According to Gov.UK, each school in England is paid approx £1.5k pa in pupil premium for each child who receives FSM.

Except that in 20-odd years' time, you'll own whatever house you have traded up to over the period outright. They'll still be at the mercy of private landlords and if they still exist, social ones - who may have well fallen victim to the punching down by penalising people for attempting to climb out of poverty by ending tenancies if somebody dares to try and improve their circumstances.

@Toppppop maybe making it a legal requirement for the non resident parent to support their dc financially would fill some of the gaps (even if you’re self employed).

You already get help. There is always something to whinge about. I am jealous you get benefits.

Feeding kids...

Fucking hell, is this really what some people want to complain about?

Unemployed people with very little money that send their kids to school for breakfast...

What happened to the old saying,
"THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO I"

@LilBus i worked in education specifically with this demographic and, as mentioned in my post, while it’s not all families at all who are dysfunctional, there is a correlation between fsm and families unable to provide a stable homelife. This isn’t necessarily due to bad parenting; poverty itself creates an unstable home and families are more likely to argue when financial pressures are intense etc. these families often have less support and cannot afford to pay for help.

This isn’t me being a mn snob, I’m speaking about some dc in society who are at risk of falling through the cracks and this policy aims to catch them. It doesn’t mean all dc in this group have the same struggles. I have huge empathy but you denying any issue isn’t helpful in providing help. The reality is that some of those dc will not see the same definition of love that others experience. There’s multifaceted reasons for that.

Not necessarily true l am afraid.
Once they qualify, even if circumstances change, they still get fsm and some parents take advantage of that.

But as a pp said , l wouldn't be jealous.

Looking it up 23.8% of children get fsm. 2m children
But you can only earn maybe 7.4k. Or 16.1k if on ctc

I dont understand how it is so high numbers of kids.

I dont know how much is paid for the fsm but if it were the £2.30 it would cost 897m per year

Ideally i would create a tax on a product men use that would pay bacl for the average of 2 kids school meals for 14years

Having a mortgage doesn't mean you aren't poor. We earn less than £22k and get UC. We also own.

Ah good point, I forgot about Pupil Premium! Head at daughter's new school when she started after we were homeless said make sure the pupil premium gets switched over to us - we need it!

I think it's faux naivety too.

Have you looked at the cost? The HAF clubs are only for 4 hours so not a full holiday club day.

I missed the part where the OP owns their own home.

You can't really be naive enough not to be able to imagine why these people need it. So stop the jealousy as it just sounds petty and small minded.

🤣 eat your bread. No you can't play with the football because you are poor.

Go and mop the toilets boy!

What would probably happen in reality is all the FSM children didn't attend, then the school would probably not have the funding to subsidise the clubs and they would need to close.

My DC school is only able to take the kids on school trips because of the funding the school receives for FSM kids.

This is what I was saying about all children benefiting from FSM funding to schools.

But yeh everyone on JSA drives a 24 plater BMW don't they.

I'm a single Mum on UC and Carers Allowance, I also get DLA for my DS. I had a mortgage so not entitled to Housing Benefit. I get by. My parents helped a lot. My DS gets FSM and not having to pay that extra bill helps a lot. We don't take advantage of holiday activities as my DS was never interested. There's also no offer of before/after school clubs. To outward appearances, my DS looks like the kid with the most, due to my parents input. Never judge a book by it's cover.

It’s because children who are living so far below the poverty line they’re on FSM are statistically more vulnerable and in need of every boost they can get. Schools claim pupil premium for each FSM child and any child who has ever been in local authority care. Maybe some of the PP is spent on the wraparound care including those meals.