Free school meals extended over the holiday- are they needed?

[GotAnyGrapes17]

Have been chatting about this with various people during the day. Opinions go from "if you can't afford a couple of quid a week to feed your kids something is wrong" to people feeling this is a hugely essential scheme.

I just wondered if anyone who is entitled for FSM genuinely struggles during school holidays with out them.

No judgment here, my child use to be entitled to free school meals, however I didn't miss them during the school holidays....I am just interested to hear other views.

Really annoying when people look at wages through their own eyes. It’s complex because it is already set. Everybody would have to have an increase in pay. If you can work at boots for a decent amount and your are not naturally academic you won’t be inclined to study to be a PE teacher for example.

Also I agree it should. But let’s not dismiss the fact we have to base it on the present situation and realistically it is VERY UNLIKELY EVERYBODY would get moved up the pay scale....

We have the vouchers for 2 children a week and honestly it’s been a life saver.

Dh is currently unemployed due to the Covid virus and we either shop at Morrison’s with 15% staff discount, sainsburys with 10% staff discount or Aldi.

No caviar for us

" The idea is that it’s an additional to your usual shopping budget so what ever you normally spend you would use the voucher or perhaps save them? As it’s something you would not get all the time. You would need to maybe budget. "

@Sweetlikecoca

The idea is that the voucher REPLACES the (often hot, possibly filling) meal the child would receive at school. For some children, this may be the only hot filling meal of their day.

During the holidays those children would usually not be entitled to a hot meal. Marcus Rashford has successfully highlighted that those children may go hungry then. Fortunately, for once, Govt has been embarrassed into making a gesture. yes, more families probably 'deserve it' but at least some kids wont go hungry now.

Families who have very little are often expert at budgeting but fall into debt traps due to UC, higher utility costs (payment cards), sanctions.

But because my kids were entitled back in 2018 I still am entitled now. We don't need them and we have donated some to people we know who are struggling. We have spoken to the school and they said there is nothing they can do as we are entitled.
Surely this needs to be changed.*
It will be , in March 2022 children will only receive them until they finished their current school stage either primary or secondary. New claims will loose fsm if circumstances change.
They government did this because all UC claimants were at one point entitled to fsm and then it was changed. The continuation of fsm was really tough for by campaigners.

*fought for.

I think it's a good thing to give vulnerable children FSM or vouchers.
What is harder to reconcile at a personal level is the feeling of worry I have at paying my own bills due to divorce and COVID. I'm worried about the future. I am slogging my guts out as a single parent and worried about keeping this roof over my children's heads.
I think when someone earning as much as Marcus R suggest it, it's easy to think well why can't you just pay for it. So even though I agree on a moral level, I also have a slight problem when someone with no money worries overlooks the real concerns of the squeezed middle.
At what point do I decide it's not worth it and stop paid work to spend more time nurturing my children. I spend a fortune on childcare to work and I'm exhausted. I don't begrudge a small child having a decent meal. But I begin to think I am working too hard if I can't give enough benefit to my own children. And the way the working world is set up, it can be hard to drop back a bit at work. It's sort of all or nothing.
Having said that, it's probably not a rational reaction as FSM is a drop in the ocean compared to furlough wages.
What a time bomb... I see future austerity on the cards to pay for this.

To anyone who would complain about a child being fed, you are a disgrace.

The children should never suffer because someone thinks their parents aren't deserving of help.

There are kids in my son's high school who don't eat between what they get at school each day. Growing teenagers managing on one meal a day.

Poverty is very real unfortunately.

I often think it would be a good idea to put say 10 hungry children in front of those who begrudge “feeding other people’s children”.

I wonder how they’d choose who would not get fed

The child of parents who have never worked and exist on benefits.
The child who is disabled and might never work.
The child whose parents have to claim UC to top up poor wages.
The child who is overweight due to a poor diet.

Perhaps they could enlighten us to which children do and do not deserve to be fed.

And in case it isn’t obvious.....children qualify as vulnerable as they cannot earn their own money and feed themselves.

So come on those of you who don’t like feeding other people’s children. Tells us which children should starve.

I think there are a few issues. I think this is a good idea, but lets face it it,s a one off because of CV so what happened last summer and next summer, and easter and Christmas?

I work at a school where we feed children from a deprived area both breakfast and lunch. This is something that we along with many others have been petitioning for for many years - food provided in holidays also, its not just because of COVID. It was needed anyway. Regardless of the reasons why parents can't feed their children we as a society need to make sure they are provided for and that includes when schools are shut. £15 to cover a weeks breakfast and lunches should help make sure they are not malnourished and are healthy for return to school. There will always be a small minority in society who abuse any benefit system in place, but we shouldn't punish the majority who need the support because of it.

In Scotland children get FSM in P1-3 so age 5-7 regardless of parental income. I don’t agree with this although I have benefitted from it on the past I could afford to pay for my children’s lunch. I would much rather all children of anyone who receives a benefit (tax credits, UC etc) be given FSMs. A lot of people are working poor.

Actually having read a bit more I can see that I am living in a bit of a bubble and not realising quite how hard it is for some (though I have always thought these children should get the meals).
It's harrowing reading some of these stories.
I hope this year brings positive change but how that could work I just don't know.
Society seems to need a rebalancing. But with too much equality (at an extreme - communism) then the motivation to work diminishes. I have no idea what the answer is.

Anyone who begrudges the few pounds a week to feed kids from low income backgrounds is a bit cunty IMO. There but for the grace of god go I (and you btw, if you don’t fall into that bracket) and they are welcome to the 0.00001p or whatever it works out at from my tax paid.

To anyone who would complain about a child being fed, you are a disgrace.
Absolutely was about to come on and say this .
Honestly this pandemic has made me think people are really shit and unless it happens to then they have no idea .
From the furloughed to teachers have all had a go at . the simple fact is children need to eat and I for one hugely applaud the scheme that's extended.

And the money going to those who ‘work the system’? Fucking peanuts compared to tax avoiders like amazon, google etc.

Are they needed... yes absolutely. Do I agree with them? Absolutely not. They should not be necessary. Wages should be enough for people to live on without scrimping and scraping by and if you cant work, for whatever reason, then benefits should be more than pittance. It saddens me we live a society where these are even necessary and where people begrudge children food.

I don't begrudge it at all but £2-3 per day is a lot,
So you don't begrudge them being fed but £2 is too much , yeah your right £2 is too much just feed them on gruel .

Its fine for the kids to be fed, so long as they only eat gruel.

@sweetkitty
I don't know about now, but when Dd was in Primary school and I was working poor she could still get free lunches.
This would be maybe 12 years ago, I git the uniform grant for her too.

@penberrh

And the money going to those who ‘work the system’? Fucking peanuts compared to tax avoiders like amazon, google etc.

Bloody this with bells on!

It's well known huge numbers of children struggle with hunger over the summer holidays. I'd support it in normal times tbh.

My nieces get fsm. They are incredibly grateful for the vouchers. The meal they get at school can be a sandwich meal or it can be a full cooked meal with dessert. They ALWAYS go for the cooked meal with dessert on days they live with mum. Because it's nice and filling, so they can tell their mum they aren't hungry in the evening so she doesn't feel guilty about it being pasta again, or doesn't have to ask family for financial help again. She's doing her best, but the fact the kids are fed at school makes a huge difference to their family budget.

Now, don't get me wrong, my nieces never go hungry, because the rest of the family step in and help, as discreetly as we can. But for families like theirs where the extended family is in the same position so can't help out as much or as often, this voucher scheme really is vital. So many of the kids at my school rely on the food bank or go to holiday club at the youth club where they get a decent lunch and somewhere safe to be all day for £2, because it's a charity and local businesses donate the food for these kids. We aren't even in a particularly disadvantaged area, but almost half of the kids in my form group go for at least part of the holidays.

@Sweetlikecoca

I’m going to go against the grain. We all are expected to feed our kids any other time. People on furlough are not all living a life of poverty also don’t forget a lot of people will save on travel costs and eating out on during the week.

I think the vouchers are a lot of money per child. Currently the kids attending school have no cooked meals only sandwiches

So to reflect on OPs post a loaf of bread, ham or what ever filling and fruit.

What about the people who work? Are they left out because people assume they are MUCH better off? It’s not always the case

However, until four years of age many of these parents would have receive fruit and veg vouchers all year round, then when the children go to school many then receive fsm. What the school meal contractors provide is negotiable with their schools, so not all schools will be only providing a ham sandwich! And if are, questions about the charges need to be asked by the school.

Your last "point" What about the people who work? Are they left out because people assume they are MUCH better off? It’s not always the case is an entirely different issue. When the threshold for fsm was significantly reduced to absolute peanuts, you weren't out protesting and writing to MPs when those families needed supporting, but now suddenly they maybe impacted there's outcry. That boats truly sailed!

So even though I agree on a moral level, I also have a slight problem when someone with no money worries overlooks the real concerns of the squeezed middle.

FFS he's not a politician! Do you want him to come and solve all of society's problems?

@Graphista

Good grief!

There’s an awful lot of sanctimonious, ignorant and frankly cruel people posting on this thread!

Do you know what makes the difference between a household that can afford to weather an unexpected crisis like covid and one that can’t?!

LUCK! That is all pure luck!

From cradle to grave much of what affects our circumstances is luck!

People who had babies 4/5 years ago couldn’t possibly have predicted this crisis, hell they couldn’t even have predicted Brexit and the shitty govt we currently have!

The children certainly couldn’t have!

The vile, acid comments directed towards the poorest and least able to advocate for themselves in society is shameful and shocking!

Particularly the post from a supposed nurse who should not only be a naturally compassionate and empathic person but who PROFESSIONALLY should be more aware than most about the variety of bad luck that can befall a family out of the clear blue fucking yonder!!

If you really are a nurse I genuinely think you’re in the wrong job! Said as an ex nurse myself!

Prices have already risen, they will likely rise a great deal again in the new year due to the disaster that is a badly mishandled Brexit shit show.

Multibuy and other offers have all but vanished.

I am disabled myself and raised a child whilst in receipt of benefits (inc when working full time as wages in this country are SHAMEFULLY low) and I can assure you it is no fucking picnic!! Certainly in the first years after splitting from ex when any cm was still deducted from benefits (even if you didn’t receive it!) there were many times I went without in order to ensure dd didn’t. Not just food either, winter clothes and shoes, walking for many miles to avoid paying for transport... and that was only 12-14 years ago so hardly the depths of the hardships of the 80’s

£15 May seem a lot to feed eg a slight 5 year old its sod all to feed a strapping 16 year old boy!!

Teenagers need more calories than adults, I had a slight girl to feed and it was still a challenge!

I would much rather it was available to some who don’t need it than NOT available to ANY who DO.

As for “well these well paid footballers should donate”

1 they are and have been AND fundraising

2 it’s not actually their responsibility! If wages were actual living wage levels and if the country was being run a HELL of a lot better the number of families needing such help would be much smaller!

This govt have repeatedly and consistently punished the poor, sick, disabled and disadvantaged and frankly covid just means this has become more bloody obvious to those who were previously unaware!

I wonder if any of our wealthier MP's or business people have. I highly doubt any Tory mps have! Even those who are HUGELY independently wealthy like Johnson rarely do anything philanthropic (unless there’s something in it for them!)

I hope that this is a permanent change and not just a one off due to Corona unfortunately not only is this highly unlikely, if anything under the current govt what’s highly likely to happen - based on previous actions and known ideology - is that welfare funding is extremely likely to be the first thing cut to pay for Coronavirus expense

I’m absolutely DREADING the next budget as it’s very likely it’s benefits that will be hit hardest.

if the govt can afford to give tax breaks to the super rich and massive corporations they can certainly find the money to keep kids from starving for a few weeks exactly! The notion that the money isn’t there is bollocks! It’s there for tax breaks for the already v wealthy, it’s there to justify tax avoidance, its there for mps expenses and unnecessary 2nd homes etc, it’s there for Brexit, its there for outdated useless nuclear weaponry and the
Armed forces maintenance of them, it’s there for umpteen general elections, it’s there to employ lying, cheating disability assessors sub contracted by the dwp, it’s there for useless think tanks and spads and spin drs!

hard times can happen to anyone precisely!

Life can turn on you!

I hold 2 degrees, when I had dd I was married, working in a well paid job as was then dh, had secure housing, was healthy and fit...

5 years later I was divorced (his infidelity), unemployed, in social housing, struggling to come to terms with being disabled as a result of a car accident which wasn’t my fault.

You NEVER know what’s around the corner!

And there’s only so much - especially if you’re on a low income - that you can do to safeguard against possible future events, nobody can predict everything.

I wish there was a vote for post of the week. This post would have my vote hands down. I am so glad that the children will be getting the vouchers.