Is it time the free school meals for all infant children went?

[BecomeStronger]

If I'm honest I never understood their introduction, but it's clear were facing a period of cuts as we (hopefully) come out of this crisis.

I completely support the Rashford campaign to support families in need, whatever age their children are, but to provide meals for families on good incomes when we can't afford the things we need?

No.

[quote Poundpup]@lyralalala I did not realise that there was a link between child benefits and ni contributions. Good to know.

In this case maybe the eligibility for free school meals needs to be adjusted and the annual gross income figure is increased. Although, I have no idea how many children this would bring into the scheme and the associated costs.

Personally, I am happy to pay a little more in taxes to ensure that school aged children have access to at least one meal a day. No child should go hungry.[/quote]
It's a specific link between child benefit and NI so it's vital for women. In abusive relationships the child benefit can often be the only easily accessible money in their name. It's much more important than is often realised.

I think the simplest and best thing to do would be to have all children having FSM. Schools could then easily set up a system whereby parents who want to pay can pay each week or term into an account that would boost school funds.

Anything that involves benefit changes or eligibility changes wouldn't actually give schools more money. We all know any savings or changes would never filter down.

I also think there needs to be big changes to school kitchen set ups. It's ridiculous that schools are forced to use expensive outside catering companies because there are so few school kitchens. There could easily be a non-profit making central kitchen that servced schools in an area. As someone posted earlier in the thread some schools end up money down because the money they get to cover a FSM is less than the catering companies charge per meal.

@LightUpLetters you are very lucky to earn what you do. Maybe you could make a donation to the school to help those less fortunate than yourself?

I honestly think FSM should be like CB in that everyone should receive the same regardless of income and stop fuelling the fire of ‘them and us’.

So many references are made on MN to the glorious utopia Scandinavian system but it’s based on equality. Everyone receives the same regardless, so no one feels resentment or anger towards those who contribute the least receiving the most.

In the U.K. the flattening in lifestyle differences between different earning brackets has caused a lot of resentment. It’s entirely plausible for a family with one NMW PT wage to live the same lifestyle (at UC expense) as a family earning £25-£30k ft wage. At each stage of earning more you're simply expected to pay for more so honestly until you are a real ‘high earner’ it all feels rather demotivating .

If I left my DH and dropped my hours to PT I’d receive over £600 more per month in UC than my current FT wage (on which I would qualify for nothing). No brainier really.

I honestly think FSM should be like CB in that everyone should receive the same regardless of income

Child benefit isn’t like that, though. There’s an upper salary limit.

@Pumpertrumper CB is very unfair, if one in a couple earns over 50k it starts to decrease and at 60k becomes nothing. A couple with each person earning 49k for example (so 98k for the household) will get it.

[quote HappyChristmasTreeRex]@Pumpertrumper CB is very unfair, if one in a couple earns over 50k it starts to decrease and at 60k becomes nothing. A couple with each person earning 49k for example (so 98k for the household) will get it.[/quote]
It would have cost more than they saved to means test it properly so had to implement a tickbox eligibility. Which makes it stupid and unfair.

Means testing it was a bloody stupid idea in the first place.

@MissEliza

Why are infants more deserving of nutritious meals? Children of all ages need good quality nutritious food. For example n the U.K., we throw them into secondary school where they can choose all kinds of unhealthy rubbish despite the fact they are growing rapidly in those years. We'd do so much better if we forced every child to sit down to a balanced meal every day.

This! Yes indeed!

Hmm, yes, let's start the cutbacks with food for children

Actually there should be free breakfast and lunches... it may seem a little nanny state but the benefits for future generations would be amazing.

I wish it would continue

My dd is now KS2.
I cant afford £15 a week/£60 a month for dinners. I wish I could. She enjoyed them in KS1, and they mostly dealt with her allergies.
But... my take home pay is £793 a month.
My rent is £700, council tax £140.
That's before running costs on my little old car, food, toiletries, gas, electricity, phone...
Single parent to a bottomless teen and dd with allergies.
I would honestly be better on full time benefits and not working.
But I love my job. I trained hard to get my job. It took 3 years of special training after uni.
I work school hours, as childcare is not there at the moment.
No longer living in the same town as school, so ds cant even collect her.
Knowing she had eaten a decent dinner was great for me.
I would suggest, some of the money "allocated" for child benefit that doesn't get used by high income families could be given to schools to go towards the cost.

And what is census day?

@lyralalala I completely agree.