Government refusing to feed hungry kids again

[noblegiraffe]

The new government food strategy out today should have included a plan to extend free school meals to all families on Universal Credit, as recommended by the review of the school system, and as requested by the teaching and head teaching unions among other educational professionals www.schoolfoodmatters.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/Education%20letter%202022.pdf

It didn't.

Child poverty is at 30%, free school meal provision 22.5%, so there are children going hungry and this situation will only get worse with the cost of living crisis.

www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/heads-deeply-disappointed-lack-free-school-meal-extension

Don't worry about MPs going hungry though, with their subsidised restaurants and generous food allowance.

www.opendemocracy.net/en/food-poverty-parliament-mps-taxpayers-cost-of-living-subsidies/?saved

"Taxpayers have forked out £17m to subsidise bars and restaurants in the House of Commons over just three years, openDemocracy can reveal.

MPs have enjoyed cut-price meals, with the average cost of food in the Members’ Dining Room reduced by more than £1 between 2018 and 2021.

In fact, politicians could have a full three-course meal at the restaurant for as little as £10.41 last year."

Anyone else think that money could be better spent elsewhere?

I would like to add that we also pay taxes to feed & keep in total luxury an unelected head of state & her hangers on. I would much prefer to have my taxes spent on helping families on low incomes & their children.

To @coldandverytired re film recommendation.

I always wonder how the families we often see at the foodbank can afford to run newish cars when they come, the cost of petrol and insurance etc etc many of my working friends have stopped driving.

The government could fund it if they wanted to. It’s amazing the money you can chuck about without missing it

www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/11/hmrc-accused-of-ignorance-and-inaction-over-6bn-covid

You should absolutely not work in a food bank.

If we are to look anywhere we could definitely start with the royal family and their multi million pound assets as pp said. I too would prefer to see this spent on children.

zaffa why wouldn't I work in the foodbank? We all notice the cars pulling up and mention it. Why wouldn't we? It is the truth! A Mercedes turned up a few weeks ago, and it was very hard to believe they are on the bread line.

The point of @noblegiraffe's mentioning the MPs' heavily subsidised meals is not that that money could fund the meals needed for children, but that it's indicative of attitudes and systematic issues.

Do you believe Top Gun is a documentary too?

The point is many of the families are prioritising cars, petrol, sky TV, cigarettes and alcohol and junk food. We also see some lovely families clearly in dire straits, but working hard to get out of their situation and they deserve our compassion and generosity.

It’s not going to come from MPs lunches though is it. Because the cost of providing them is tiny in comparison to the cost of funding free school meals.

And yet, if you are going to argue that there isn't money to feed hungry children, then there definitely shouldn't be money to subsidise Rishi's lunch, should there?

Wow that’s a thorough food bank. You’re checking their houses for alcohol and sky tv?

Because you think that there is a hierarchy, those who deserve your help and generosity and those who deserve your judgement.
That's why you shouldn't work in a food bank.

High concept Hollywood blockbuster Top Gun has nothing to do with social realist I, Daniel Blake FFS.

Time to dust off the copy of A Christmas Carol again I guess. Many modern day Malthusians here who need to learn a few truths.

Even with FSM I still had to give ds extra money for his lunch as the free amount only covered a very small meal, usually a sandwich or a main course, no pudding or drink.

Are you also one of those people who believes young people can't get on the housing ladder because of Netflix?

Well, Top Guns has fighter planes and fighter planes are real. I, Daniel Blake has crippling poverty, intransigent bureaucracy and jobs that don’t pay people living wages. That’s real too.

The saddest part is, I genuinely believe this person does work at a food bank - the people holding these sorts of views permeate our society and why we hear all these arguments about why we, the taxpayer shouldn't feed 'other people's children'.

It's not the Government's responsibility to feed kids.

I'm very over this society expectation that the Government provides under every circumstance. There was a young mum on the news tonight at a food bank - she had lip fillers, slug eyebrows and gel nails. Sorry but she needs a lesson in accountability, not enabling to carry on prioritising her own welfare over her kids.

A lot of the people that donate to our foodbank are extremely poor themselves, it is important that their generosity is not abused. It is intended for those truly in need, so of course we are going to notice when flash cars turn up. Some of our donations are from those struggling. Everyone that is entitled to can use our foodbanks, and at christmas we go out of our way to make special boxes up and provide bedding and pjs for dc.

So should the kids starve whilst that lesson is being delivered?

I’d rather they just sort out the companies profiting from increasing prices and reduce the cost of living. I don’t think giving £650 to those on UC for fuel costs is a particularly fair way of intervening as there will be loads above the cutoff but worse off due to circumstances (eg area that they live, travel cost to work etc). It would be the same for FSM. Not to mention the meals at our school are dire and not very nutritious

I’m just wondering if Nadine Dorries has an evening off from clearing up after Big Dog and churning out ‘novels’.

I am appalled by some of the attitudes on this thread.