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

[thirdhill]

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

"The Royal family work for a living! How many other 85 and 90 year olds do you know that work?"

for what employer?

and remember who you are every time you vote

I'm not sure where I'd make cuts - but this article suggests foreign aid could be looked at.

blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100088432/cameron-should-scrap-the-foreign-aid-budget-not-increase-it/

From there we spend :

"actually, £8 billion now (rising to £11.4 billion in 2015)"
...
"The biggest recipient of our foreign aid largesse is currently Pakistan to which over the next four years we will be sending a total of £1.4 billion. This is roughly the same amount that Pakistan has earmarked to spend on a new fleet of Chinese made submarines; these will go nicely with the two squadrons of Chinese J-10 fighters which Pakistan has also bought at a cost of $1.4 billion. So, in effect, our foreign aid donations are helping to underwrite the military expansion of the country which until recently was shielding the world's number one Islamist terrorist,"

I think we also give money to countries with space programs ? I think its India?

Perhaps as we are one of the world richest countries,according to wikipedia were are 7th in world, we should look after our own poor DC first. Honestly FSM are one meal for what 39 weeks.

I'm really surprised so many are arguing it is not possible. I'll watch with interest at what they actually decide to do.

Hi,

I work for The Children's Society - don't want to hijack discussion, but just wanted to add that there is a petition action.childrenssociety.org.uk/fair-and-square and the hashtag is #fairandsquare if you want to spread the word on Twitter

Visit The Children's Society website for more info on their campaign for Free School Meals
www.childrenssociety.org.uk/fairandsquare

SIGN THE PETITION to ensure the poorest children get the free school meals they need

action.childrenssociety.org.uk/page/s/fair-and-square-free-school-meals-campaign

It breaks my heart. I struggle as it is on benefits, but I know I will go without to provide food for my children, a warm and clean home, clothes that fit and plenty of love and support.

However, I live in a deprived area where I saw kids being brought into school midwinter with no jackets and shoes in terrible conditions, without food and often coming from horrible home situations, to think that they would for those six hours be well fed, warm and safe, but now it's potentially being taken away. I cried for some of those kids, school is a haven for them, now I am plain worried about the way this country is going.

with links :-)

Visit The Children's Society website for more info on their campaign for Free School Meals
www.childrenssociety.org.uk/fairandsquare

SIGN THE PETITION to ensure the poorest children get the free school meals they need

action.childrenssociety.org.uk/page/s/fair-and-square-free-school-meals-campaign

I don't really want to make this all about the royals, as it seems almost too obvious a great big stupid unfair anomaly even to point out.

However. My 89 year old widowed grandfather works harder every bloody day just running his house and staying afloat than the Duke of fucking Edinburgh has ever done. He had a job until retirement, of course. Some jobs you can't keep doing - and aren't allowed to - until you just die.

I am a big fan of the royals (sorry tosn ) but even I can see that the DofE doesnt exactly work very hard.

Someone mentioned it earlier. Perhaps Jamie Olivier should be contacted, no point him fighting for decent schools
meals if no one can bloody afford them

The Royal family work for a living? Really?

If only every 'job' could involve being whisked around on private jets, attending gala dinners, hospital openings, meeting dignitaries and giving a smile and a wave to the crowds. And of course, receiving and allowance from the public purse!

I don't actually have a major issue with the Royals, generally. But to say they are 'working' is just bonkers. Tell that to the people trying to live on NMW.

Last place we live our 90 year old neighbor worked part time - that was her choice though. Many retired grandparents here up to late 70s do varying amounts of childcare for their working DCs.

God, don't get Jamie Oliver in, he caused more damage than good last time as far as I can see.

I will desist with the royal stuff cos it's a bit reductive I suppose - basically it's just scummy to look at FSM to cut, though, and once again the Tories head straight for those most vulnerable and most in need when thinking about how to save their pennies, and it's despicable.

Also, the implications pointed out earlier about FSM as a measure for the school in terms of funding, ranking etc are immense.

They haven't thought it through. Again.

I like the royal family but if it were a choice of feeding children or keeping the queen, I'd sell the royal family and everything they owned.

Maybe we could auction them off somewhere, somewhere that can afford to keep them.

I would be removing private schools' charitable status. That should raise a bob or two. I don't know any genuinely poor people who have managed to get a bursary for their children. All those families I know who have bursaries and scholarships somehow managed to fund many hours of private tutoring before sitting entrance exams.

I dunno (ref Jamie O)

he riased ALOT of awarness
OK nothing has changed, but people view school meals very differently, seed was planted IMO

Wouldn't call us poor (but not wealthy either) Shag but no way could have afforded to pay fees without scholarship and bursary. No tutoring paid for. Ot though

See I kind of think he stormed in without thinnking it through or taking any advice, wanting to be a saviour figure and all that... and saying 'this ain't about my kids, cos my kids ain't going to state school' got my goat as well!

What actually happened, at my dds' school, was they quickly took off all the turkey twizzlers but replaced it with crappy 'healthy options' like 'cheese sandwich', which then cost more because there was less uptake as all the savvy parents had either been giving packed lunches all along, or else stopped paying for dinners sharpish after JO. So essentially school dinners seemed to get worse and cost more!

If there really are 350,000 kids who would be affect by this, the amount saved would be around £0.1 Billion pa. It would take about 20 years for that to equal the cost of the Jubilee celebrations quoted above.

So it's all very well crying that the welfare bill for this country is huge, but the amount that taking a hot dinner away from these children would save is piddling in comparison.

shagmund yes that sounds like a good idea. It must make a difference, and I'd be happy to pay more and even turn a blind eye to the schools not getting more efficient.

There are all sorts of legal consequences changing from charitable status, but that's nothing compared to losing a daily meal. Much better than all the stuff done to justify charitable status.

Bronze - what's your household income if you don't mind me asking.

If your child is clever enough to get in to a selective school without any tutoring - even from you - and you are supportive (as I'm sure you are) the evidence suggests success at a state secondary is pretty much a given. Really it should be the thickoes who should get the additional boost that a private education can give them, if we're thinking about best use of money for the tax payer.

That's a disgrace. For some kids that is the only meal they get all day. What are school staff supposed to do when kids with no packed lunch or school dinner money are crying with hunger? Are those kids supposed to sit and watch the ones with lunch eat?

I bet school staff will end up feeding them out of their own pocket. Again, the government is relying on good will to pick up the tab.

Erm under 30k, 4 kids, nearly half goes on rent I think we're lucky as its over national average but I wouldn't put us in wealthy category. Of course that's a comparative thing anyway.

I mentioned Jamie oliver as he does have influence and gets headlines

Meant to say They have been to state previously (more than one) dd is still at state and will probably stay there.

One of my DCs has school dinners. This is because it was a sweetner when we moved him from mainstream to a SNS.
Our LA charge 1.75 a day so cheaper than many on here.

My two younger DCs will not be having school dinners when they start school. There is no way we could afford three lots of fees.

I looked into free school meals a while back and although our income was low enough we were ineligible because we got WTC.

Fair enough. My DCs wont starve. It would have been nice to get but we will get by.

BUT THIS! If we cannot manage on our income how the hell are people going to manage on incomes even lower than ours?

I would prefer my DCs to have school dinners. Its easier for me and if we cant get to the shop I dont have to worry about finding something for their packed lunches.
But its not the end of the world.

This ridiculously low cap WILL be a disaster for so many children.

The only positive thing is that the Tories are showing themselves to be the elitist, wankerbastards that they really are.

I just hope we can get them out before they ruin even more lives.