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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think a £7500 income cap on free school meals is a deathwish?

424 replies

thirdhill · 19/04/2012 11:57

I'm so shocked to see the Children's Society analysis reported in most papers today about proposals to introduce a £7500 income cap on free school meals.

My initial reaction is this is sheer vindictiveness, taking away a meal from kids in dire need. Will the money spent on a daily lunch for a few children save our economy? Or perhaps we can be relied on to not care anymore? Or is there a wider picture nobody is reporting? My understanding is that the present income cap is £16k, which already seems a challenge for a family of say four.

Sarah Teather, the Minister, is a lib dem MP but this must tar both parties for many and seems an absolute deal breaker for mobile voters. Straw that broke the camel's back, death wish, etc.

Curious if anyone knows any more to this.

TIA

OP posts:
DepartmentForEducation · 19/04/2012 14:28

It?s really important that children from low income families can get a free, nutritious meal at school. We remain totally committed to continuing to provide free school meals to children from the poorest families.

The Government is reforming welfare to get more people into jobs. Universal Credit will simplify the benefits system ? but it does mean the Department for Education will have to change the way that eligibility for free school meals is worked out. We will be thinking hard about this to get it right.

No plans have yet been set and we will be consulting later this year about the best way forward. We will let Mumsnet know when the consultation starts so that people can give their views.

MrsShitty · 19/04/2012 14:29

I don't know the answer...of COURSE children need free school meals. The cchildren at my neice's school are almost ALL on fsm and if their parents had to bring them packed lunches in, then some would arrive with nothing. Sad

It can't be allowed to happen.

noblegiraffe · 19/04/2012 14:30

It's bizarre that anyone thinks FSM for the poor are a bad idea. This isn't giving benefit money to scroungers to buy flat screen TVs and exotic holidays, it's a free meal, directly given to a child whose parents aren't well-off. Even if you think the parents are feckless and undeserving, how can you begrudge a child a meal?

MrsShitty · 19/04/2012 14:31

Bumble Well this is part of why I come on Mumsenet...and MN HQ need to ask the government if this is true and tell them it must NOT happen.

swallowedAfly · 19/04/2012 14:31

what jobs doe???????

swallowedAfly · 19/04/2012 14:32

reforming benefits to get people into jobs - seriously???

is it only in my town that there's a recession? i thought it was like global or something but apparently in westminster it's not happening.

DoingTheBestICan · 19/04/2012 14:32

Its shocking,these children have never asked to be born,they are innocent victims in all this,ALL children should have at least 1 hot meal a day that is nutritous & healthy.
There needs to be a public outcry about this.

Original poster
thirdhill · 19/04/2012 14:32

Oh hello Dept for Ed! It's quite simple really.

Does it stay at £16k or reduce?

For me, anyway it's very simple. Perhaps you may think £10k is acceptable? Or £12k? Or even £14k. Shame on you.

I can't believe I'm so angry about this now.

OP posts:
Birdsgottafly · 19/04/2012 14:34

350'000 minimum children will be affected, that is enough in my book to worry about.

DoingTheBestICan · 19/04/2012 14:35

We should be nurturing our children,this is our next generation,how well do they think they will concentrate in class with hungry tummies,knowing that they are going home to possible a sandwich for dinner?

asuwere · 19/04/2012 14:35

where did you get the figure of 350000, Birdsgottafly?

thekidsrule · 19/04/2012 14:35

i can be a right hard faced cow sometimes about subjects like this BUT this is a truly terrible idea

this is one "benefit" that cant be abused or mispent the child really does benefit and recieves directly

whether we like it or not some kids have awful homelifes,i couldnt and wouldnt want to even imagine whats its like to be hungry and with no source to buy food which is what does happen to some kids

this is a really sad reflection on a goverment in a so called civilised society,that would even entertain let alone implement it

shame on them

Original poster
thirdhill · 19/04/2012 14:35

I'm so angry I hope someone who actually knows about these things will challenge Ms Teather for her job next time.

OP posts:
minimathsmouse · 19/04/2012 14:35

DofE where are the jobs going to come from, would that be part time, lowly paid jobs in the private sector by any chance?

JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 19/04/2012 14:37

Top subject in discussions of the day and a response from the Department for Education promising to keep us informed of consultation process and seeking to reassure that no decisions have been made as yet.

MNers I'm proud of you !

minimathsmouse · 19/04/2012 14:40

Makes you wonder why we even have a government. It would be much cheaper to keep us lot in tea & coffee at our laptops all day. I'm sure collectively we couldn't make it worse, think of all those MPs expenses and salaries that could be cut Grin

Birdsgottafly · 19/04/2012 14:40

and MN HQ need to ask the government if this is true

What happened was that the propossed 'Universal Credit' was put to consulatation for feedback.

Many charities gave their concerns and so did statutory workers, SW's, etc.

So changes were made, some of the bigger charities were successful in getting some of the disability cuts removed, or at least put back.

Originally FSM would not form any part of change, but via other means, the capping of certain benefits are going further than first thought.

This is to be discussed later this year, all that can be done for now is everyone to email their MP, this is important as we have the local elections coming up, so notice may be taken.

Agincourt · 19/04/2012 14:41

how is benefit reform going to help more people into jobs? It seems most of the reforms are forcing people out of work as they will be better off on benefits

Voidka · 19/04/2012 14:41

DepartmentofEducation So when will you change the Additional School Needs so that it isnt based on FSM? Or will you except schools to carry on under the pressure of SEN without the adequate funding?

MrsShitty · 19/04/2012 14:41

Keeping us informed is not worth much though....we can do that by readng the newspapers. They still "have to change the way" it's all worked out.

Hmm
Birdsgottafly · 19/04/2012 14:43

how is benefit reform going to help more people into jobs?

It doesn't but it suits an agenda to punish poverty and disability and make it look as those needing to claim are 'feckless'.

It also redirects wealth and makes those at the top rungs better off and in a even more powerful position.

flatpackhamster · 19/04/2012 14:43

Bramshott, you say that we are 'not in such dire straits'.

We are. We really are. The only thing keeping the economy from sliding in to the abyss is cheap credit, and that's about to run out.

We are £1 Trillion in debt. Look at the debt figures for yourself:

www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/debt_brief.php

We spend £43 Billion a year just on paying the interest on our debt. Not paying it off. Just keeping our heads above water. £43Bn is double our defence budget. It would run the NHS for 4 months of the year, or the whole of the country's schools for 6 months, or pay the welfare bill for 3 months.

Despite all these 'evil cuts' government expenditure is still rising. The main reason for that is the rising debt repayment bill. If the Eurozone goes down the swanny, we're toast.

And yet you all sit here and cluck your collective tongues and say how awful it is without the faintest idea of just what a state the UK is in. Think with your heads instead of your hearts. Would you try to run your household budget the way the government has run the economy?

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 19/04/2012 14:45

If my house had some hungry children in it, I'd feed them first. Before I had a party for the rich granny I also had living there, probably.

Rikalaily · 19/04/2012 14:45

asuwere Up until a couple of years ago Maintainance was declared and did affect TC's, what was the point of absent parents paying for thier children just for the government to take it back off the resident parent from thier TC's? There was no point, the only people who suffered were the kids who didn't get any extra's because there was not that extra bit of money coming in. I didn't bother going to the CSA to get money from my ex because I would have been no better off, as soon as the rules were changed I went straight to the CSA and now my kids have an extra £250 a month, I can now afford to get them clothes and school shoes when they need them rather than waiting until we had the money and them wearing destroyed shoes or thier trainers.

When I was a single mum on benefits after my ex left I had £30 a month left after everything had been paid, that wouldn't have covered school meals for my kids or the cost of packed lunches either. You really need a reality check.

Alot of the poorest families don't have a clue or don't care about good nutrition, come and walk my kids to school in the morning and you'll see how many kids get a chocolate bar or crisps for thier breakfast, alot don't get anything at all. The school have bowls of fruit out for the kids who haven't had anything to eat, I've heard of the teachers giving a few some toast. I've seen kids bringing in a packet of crisps and a can of pop for thier lunch plenty of times. The school can't even bring in healthy eating rules for the packed lunch kids because half of them wouldn't have anything to eat at all. You seriously haven't got a clue about the world some kids grow up in.

swallowedAfly · 19/04/2012 14:46

benefit reform creates jobs - that is one of the most nonsensical pieces of tripe in a while.

you can make people as poor as you like, if there's no jobs there's no jobs. and sick and disabled people can't get jobs that able bodied, healthy people are queuing up for.