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Yes I know I'm wrong. But im ranting anyway/fsm/vouchers

204 replies

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 16:21

I'm pissed of. I have no right to be. There's a way out of it. I'm just being a prick. I'm also in the wrong for thinking this way.

My kids get fsm which means they are entitled to vouchers . My kids school give aldi ones 90.00 per child I have 2 at that school so it's alot of money. So i should definitely be grateful. But they are only allowing collection between 8am -1.30. On the day kids finish at 1.30pm. I was planning on bunking that day. Yes i know that's bad . I live quite away from the school I don't drive and it takes an hour to get there. Then back again. Then I have to do that again a few hours later and they don't even have lessons. They will just play etc .

So I'm pissed of that I have to get my arse out of bed ay 6.30am to get theses vouchers . Dd school does them on line .

I also feel they sort of gate keep them. One year they said collect by 2pm I was a bit late and they would not let me have them. It feels degrading as it is.

OP posts:
vanillaalmondlatte · 19/07/2024 18:37

You’re welcome to pay for your own children’s food if the free voucher system doesn’t suit you.

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 18:42

vanillaalmondlatte · 19/07/2024 18:37

You’re welcome to pay for your own children’s food if the free voucher system doesn’t suit you.

Your totally right

OP posts:
treacledan71 · 19/07/2024 18:46

You got 6 weeks off of having a lie in so surely an extra day is OK.

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 18:48

treacledan71 · 19/07/2024 18:46

You got 6 weeks off of having a lie in so surely an extra day is OK.

It is. I will live. Just passed of about it. That's all

OP posts:
YOYOK · 19/07/2024 18:50

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 18:14

I already said I will. I was just asking a moan.

I also think its wrong to gate keep them in that way . If I child is ill . Or even if the patent does not take them in. It's the chikd that suffers . Yes it is responsibility of the parent. But the school also has responsibility to a child
If they gate keep them vouchers them the school is also responsible. But as I say I will take them in .

I see why you feel it’s gate keeping but they’re really not IMO. Most children, I assume, will attend the school day so it’s probably designed to make it a smoother process. The vouchers can be collected at either end of the day. Makes sense to me.

TheShellBeach · 19/07/2024 18:51

vanillaalmondlatte · 19/07/2024 18:37

You’re welcome to pay for your own children’s food if the free voucher system doesn’t suit you.

OMG another person who believes that people on benefits are not allowed to moan about the way their children's vouchers are handed out.

Allthehorsesintheworld · 19/07/2024 18:54

Rainbowsponge · 19/07/2024 16:33

They shouldn’t be getting vouchers to start with. Utterly ridiculous

For children who are eligible to free school meals the vouchers are roughly the equivalent for the duration of the school holidays. Lots of families rely on fsm for their kids to have a hot meal daily. It’s been hugely reported over the last few years that these children could go hungry during the holidays. Money doesn’t always stretch as far as it should when you factor in living costs for a family.

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 18:57

YOYOK · 19/07/2024 18:50

I see why you feel it’s gate keeping but they’re really not IMO. Most children, I assume, will attend the school day so it’s probably designed to make it a smoother process. The vouchers can be collected at either end of the day. Makes sense to me.

But then what about the children who are generally of ill? They miss out .

Also when I said about gate keeping . I was more reflecting really. Because when vouchers are given out on the shorter holidays you can't collect after 2pm . Even though school finishes at 3pm. I got there 2.30 once due to a situation. They would not let me have the voucher. It was degrading and made me feel extremely small at the time.

OP posts:
NeverDropYourMooncup · 19/07/2024 19:01

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 18:26

Safe guarding? Holiday checks . So because a chikd had the last day of it stops safe guarding checks ... that's hard to believe.

Eating them after 6 weeks? Because they must be really hungry vagter 6 weeks that's an odd thing to say .

They were not home sick ? How do you know they were not at the gp or hospital maybe even sleeping. Do you hp and check children are ill though the school year or just the last day of the school year

Throughout. It's revealed some cases of neglect and abuse. The end of term ones are the most critical, as that's when some of the most serious incidences kick off - like taking children overseas for assorted reasons including FGM, forced marriage, hiding the evidence of an assault - or just the helpful neighbour saying 'they've gone back to...' or 'there was a huge row, banging and screaming on Sunday night and I've not seen them since'.

If they're at home because parents don't see school as a priority, they're struggling to meet SEND (and six weeks without a break can be a huge strain with the break in routine, less money, disruption to routine, etc, increasing the risk of parents or children being hurt), dealing with parental addictions or mental illness coming first with no relief provided by the school giving a free breakfast, snacks and school dinners, or because they're already at breaking point, seeing the kid for that last check can be even more vital, because it's the last chance before September. And unfortunately, because so many kids are neglected, abused, left hungry or treated absolutely appallingly when there's nobody to see the bruises or hear the disclosures, the sheer volume of work involved and new incidents over the weekend or even just the day or morning before means that an absence could stop the planned checks on welfare and safety going ahead.

I'm guessing that you've also never seen a much thinner than in July kid turning up in September and being very glad of the longer life stuff that's included in the parcels because there hasn't been enough food for the last six weeks to stop them going hungry. Would have been better going to them in July in my opinion.

I mean, I was broadly supportive of the 'ugh, I wish I didn't have to get up but I'm going to have to now there's the best part of two hundred quid waiting for me'. It's crap functioning on four hours' kip a night at best I do it for work and then snap awake at usual time at the weekends and it's been 35 whole days since half term ended and there was a bit of a break where most people weren't still in school.

But when it comes down to it, there's always going to be somebody who thinks what's done isn't good enough for them/isn't enough/is too much/is too intrusive. Can't please all the people all of the time. Even when they're getting two hundred notes out of it.

Comedycook · 19/07/2024 19:02

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 18:57

But then what about the children who are generally of ill? They miss out .

Also when I said about gate keeping . I was more reflecting really. Because when vouchers are given out on the shorter holidays you can't collect after 2pm . Even though school finishes at 3pm. I got there 2.30 once due to a situation. They would not let me have the voucher. It was degrading and made me feel extremely small at the time.

That does sound very petty

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 19:11

NeverDropYourMooncup · 19/07/2024 19:01

Throughout. It's revealed some cases of neglect and abuse. The end of term ones are the most critical, as that's when some of the most serious incidences kick off - like taking children overseas for assorted reasons including FGM, forced marriage, hiding the evidence of an assault - or just the helpful neighbour saying 'they've gone back to...' or 'there was a huge row, banging and screaming on Sunday night and I've not seen them since'.

If they're at home because parents don't see school as a priority, they're struggling to meet SEND (and six weeks without a break can be a huge strain with the break in routine, less money, disruption to routine, etc, increasing the risk of parents or children being hurt), dealing with parental addictions or mental illness coming first with no relief provided by the school giving a free breakfast, snacks and school dinners, or because they're already at breaking point, seeing the kid for that last check can be even more vital, because it's the last chance before September. And unfortunately, because so many kids are neglected, abused, left hungry or treated absolutely appallingly when there's nobody to see the bruises or hear the disclosures, the sheer volume of work involved and new incidents over the weekend or even just the day or morning before means that an absence could stop the planned checks on welfare and safety going ahead.

I'm guessing that you've also never seen a much thinner than in July kid turning up in September and being very glad of the longer life stuff that's included in the parcels because there hasn't been enough food for the last six weeks to stop them going hungry. Would have been better going to them in July in my opinion.

I mean, I was broadly supportive of the 'ugh, I wish I didn't have to get up but I'm going to have to now there's the best part of two hundred quid waiting for me'. It's crap functioning on four hours' kip a night at best I do it for work and then snap awake at usual time at the weekends and it's been 35 whole days since half term ended and there was a bit of a break where most people weren't still in school.

But when it comes down to it, there's always going to be somebody who thinks what's done isn't good enough for them/isn't enough/is too much/is too intrusive. Can't please all the people all of the time. Even when they're getting two hundred notes out of it.

I kind of get it but seeing a child on say the Thursday instead of the Friday. Because they stayed of on the Friday. Isn't going to keep them any safer?

OP posts:
YOYOK · 19/07/2024 19:20

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 18:57

But then what about the children who are generally of ill? They miss out .

Also when I said about gate keeping . I was more reflecting really. Because when vouchers are given out on the shorter holidays you can't collect after 2pm . Even though school finishes at 3pm. I got there 2.30 once due to a situation. They would not let me have the voucher. It was degrading and made me feel extremely small at the time.

Fair enough. There should be an exception for those cases. However, that’s not your situation. I think you’d have different replies if you couldn’t access them, rather than accessing the vouchers “only” being inconvenient.

roundspongecake · 19/07/2024 19:35

Comedycook · 19/07/2024 18:16

Yes it definitely can.

75 p for four large potatoes to make jacket potatoes = about 19p per potato

Half a can of beans per potato

Less than £1

Who wants to eat that every day other than someone who enjoys eating that every day. School dinners aren't jacket potato every day unless that's what the child chooses.

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 19:36

YOYOK · 19/07/2024 19:20

Fair enough. There should be an exception for those cases. However, that’s not your situation. I think you’d have different replies if you couldn’t access them, rather than accessing the vouchers “only” being inconvenient.

Yeah I agree . I do get that. But mine were stopped b4 because I was a bit late for a good reason. There may be a good few people who struggle to get them and may be vulnerable

OP posts:
roundspongecake · 19/07/2024 19:38

Illbehistrash · 19/07/2024 18:27

For lunch it’s fine ? My dc usually have a sandwich, veg sticks , a yogurt and piece of fruit totally possible if you shop wisely to do this for £3 a day

Not when they usually have the hot meal at school it isn't

Comedycook · 19/07/2024 19:39

roundspongecake · 19/07/2024 19:35

Who wants to eat that every day other than someone who enjoys eating that every day. School dinners aren't jacket potato every day unless that's what the child chooses.

That's a perfectly normal lunch. But just one example. I could think of many many more lunches I could make for £3 per person.

Sausage and mash
Pizza
Something on toast
Toasted sandwich
Chicken drumsticks and chips/rice
Pasta
Fried rice

WorriedMama12 · 19/07/2024 19:44

diktat · 19/07/2024 17:56

I think most people would groan at 2 x 2 hour round trips (so 4 hours of travelling) so their kids could play for a couple of hours at school.

But would they groan at getting £180 for it? I wouldn't!

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 19:47

roundspongecake · 19/07/2024 19:35

Who wants to eat that every day other than someone who enjoys eating that every day. School dinners aren't jacket potato every day unless that's what the child chooses.

I think its enough kind of. You can get cheap pasta and pasta sauce.

Kids are often happy with something on
toast

OP posts:
Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 19:55

WorriedMama12 · 19/07/2024 19:44

But would they groan at getting £180 for it? I wouldn't!

That's fine I get that . I can still moan though

OP posts:
LordSnot · 19/07/2024 22:44

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 17:44

I never saw this till it was quoted . What makes you think I cam sleep in the day. Why do you make the assumption I can do that ?

Have another read. I didn't assume, I guessed from your vague posts. You seem very cagey about actually giving any details... I wonder why.

LordSnot · 19/07/2024 22:46

Nanny0gg · 19/07/2024 17:45

Because that poster has decided that you're the stereotype of a lazy, feckless scrounger.

Charming, aren't they?

Be quiet.

Itsonme67 · 19/07/2024 22:54

LordSnot · 19/07/2024 22:44

Have another read. I didn't assume, I guessed from your vague posts. You seem very cagey about actually giving any details... I wonder why.

You guessed wrong

OP posts:
S1lverCandle · 20/07/2024 10:36

So what prevents you catching up on sleep when your children are at school, op?

roundspongecake · 20/07/2024 10:51

S1lverCandle · 20/07/2024 10:36

So what prevents you catching up on sleep when your children are at school, op?

Could be anything. Work. Caring for a parent. The sun.

Itsonme67 · 20/07/2024 11:11

S1lverCandle · 20/07/2024 10:36

So what prevents you catching up on sleep when your children are at school, op?

I have older children with mental health issues and support needs. Even without that I can't sleep during the day.

OP posts: