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’d rather they be fed in schools. Offer breakfast each morning toast/bagel, free lunch and send them home with a pack up if required/wanted. Much better than just throwing money straight into pockets. This way the children definitely get the food.

some people just cannot or will not budget right. If the issue is hungry children then feed the children directly.

Evening, all. We're going to take this down while we just check a few things out behind the scenes.

Maybe if the Tory's hadn't spaffed £440 billion on Brexit the country would be in a better place economically - and to the poster saying ending FOM should help because wages have gone up- yes they have in 'certain ' occupations(not all modestly paid jobs by a long way) but then so have prices , due to paying higher wages!! Having just moved back from Denmark I think a few people don't get it- In Denmark very high minimum wage, higher salaries, considerably higher prices! They also have much higher tax, but no council tax, no NI and way cheaper childcare- the UK it seems is rapidly turning itself into the USA - isolationist and you are on your own mate. - you don't have to be a radical lefty to see that the country's priorities are all up the spout. As it happens even on benefits I think it's very possible to not starve and if people were honest , it's that money intended for food is sometimes going on other things and some women don't have 100% control too of family money - it's easy to forget that - however other big issues are that private rented housing is sapping modest wages- especially in the southern half of the country- many people carry far too much debt relative to income and fuel and utilities are out of control- and if you are on meters- no cash, no electric etc. there are many complex reasons as to why some people are struggling more than others but some people seem to have zero empathy and come over on here like mini Andrea Leadsomes- no doubt from the comfort of a nice house, good income /pension and a stable situation- often with high earning partners and family money to fall back on.

Scratch that - all good with the thread. We might just have a look through and delete one or two posts though. Apologies for the intermission. As you were.

Thanks @HebeMumsnet

You’ve escaped prosecution @noblegiraffe 😉😁

Seriously though, the goady, ignorant minority on this thread are something else. Imagine having nothing better to do than goad in opposition to anti-child poverty measures.

I sincerely doubt it was @noblegiraffe who was under scrutiny here.

It's a horrible day to be British. This shite food 'strategy', breaking international law in NI, sending refguees to Rwanda, FFS!

It did seem unlikely. I was sitting going 😳.

@Crikeyalmighty

Hmm, when all else fails blame Brexit. Don't you think that one is really wearing a bit thin?

Headteachers aren't going to be paying for any of this so I would take their views with a grain or salt. Are they prepared to sacrifice a percentage of their salary in order to pay for this?

headteachers do have to find the money from their budgets to cover the shortfall between what the government provide and what the caterers charge. Our catering company charge £2.50 per child meal and that will be going up in September. The funding we get for KS1 meals is £2.36 per child who has a meal on census day in October. That’s 14p per meal to come out of our budget. Plus we don’t get any additional money for any children who join the school after that date in September. It’s slightly different for the children who get free meals due to family income.

At my school our staff pay into a fund for our tea and coffee but it also provides cereal and toast for lots of children who arrive at school with empty stomachs. All our support staff have also had a pay cut this year (by reduction of hours) as the school desperately tries to make the budget stretch to providing decent facilities and education for our children.

What percentage of families claim universal credit or a legacy benefit? I personally would scrap the means testing and give all school age children a free meal. It is a shame that many schools no longer have the facilities to cook on site. But if it were possible then it would create jobs and potentially allow more education around food.

I don't know where people are getting the idea of food bank users (it would seem their imagination) but over 6 trusts hospitals have created food pantries or provided food vouchers for staff. If I lost my job and home tomorrow and needed to use a food bank I would go in designer clothes that have been bought over years, would you rather I sold them and replaced my wardrobe with cheaper alternatives?

We can stop the MPs getting the subsidised lunches if we stop school staff as well, I assume you’d not have a problem with that OP? There are more of them after all…

Which subsidised lunch do you think I get?

It is also far more efficient to feed everyone a hot meal at the same time. If you give money to each family they all have to pay for the fuel to cook the meals.

This ^^ except we aren’t all in it together are we @noblegiraffe? We never have been.

Happy to be corrected but don't primary school children in Scotland all get a lunch?

My £3.50 meal isn’t subsidised. The catering company charge the school a few pence under £3.50 per adult meal and any staff who have a meal pay £3.50 (as it is easier administratively).

I just can't believe the judgement of some of these posters.

My eyebrows are always 'done'. I pay £7 a fortnight for them. I won't give it up, poor or not.

I'm a carer for a disabled child. Recently they haven't paid me properly. I was very behind on a particular bill so I used my local food bank. Everyone was very welcoming to me, even offering me a hot cup of tea on arrival. I couldn't accept as I had my disabled DC with me - Naturally I couldn't stay and sit down for a cup of tea as he was distressed.

I hope nobody judged me pulling up in my 2020 plate. It looks like a beautiful car. It is. It's for a disabled child's benefit, paid for as part of his DLA.

I can't work anymore because I have a child that sleeps 2 hours a night and that's it. He is programmed to then feel refreshed from that and he's on the go 24/7, needing 24/7 supervision, until he finally goes to sleep. I use the time he's at special needs school to sleep, mostly. And dare I say it, have a hot bath in peace and watch something on my phone. I don't have a TV. They kept getting broken.

Of course, lots of people with crucial Motability cars now can't pay for the petrol to get to appointments/ the sops, foodbanks/DSA appointment...

shops.

I honestly can’t believe some posters on here think innocent children should suffer…

No child in the U.K. should be hungry. Jesus wept. I don’t care what their parents spent their money on… the poor children didn’t get a say! And besides that… MPs don’t need all these expenses and subsidised meals! They are the least needy in the country!

Over 70% of children at my school are on FSM. Our parents are in the lowest 30% deprivation in the country.

There were no FSM vouchers last half term - and we gave out 32 food bank vouchers.

Our closest food bank is a £5 bus ride away. The food bank is only open Wed and Fri. My lovely Headteacher broke the rules and took a minibus of parents to it on the last day of term. He’s being hauled over the coals this week.

it’s going to be worse at the end of July.

Yes, some of our parents are feckless. Their children aren’t. But it is the children who will have visibly lost weight come September.

I think FSM vouchers should be more in the summer holidays, not taken away completely. £15 a week is a minimum- at the very least that would get them a filling chippy tea every day.

But the most greedy!

Sorry I should have added… the MPs are the least needy in society but seem to be the most greedy!