To be hacked off that well off families are now getting CB,help with childcare and now free school meals when those on a lot less are losing CB?

[Retropear]

I thought it was necessary to take CB off those on 50k so why are those on a lot more getting yet more money given to them?

It's not fair.

Not read the whole thread so apologies if I repeat anyone.

Free school meals for all children under 7 is a fantastic idea, infact I think that it will have a massive effect in bringing some children back from obesity, under nourishment and bone idle parents who can't be arsed to feed their kids properly or at all.

For example that tragic Daniel pelker case, if he was getting a free school meal everyday he may of had the chance to open up to someone and he wouldn't of been rooting through bins.

Child benefit new terms are odd, it makes no sense. However those that are not entitled to child benefit will be entitled to free school meals for their younger children I imagine the cost of lunches exceeds the £80 a month? So in the long run an even bigger saving?

This constant griping about families with big incomes is so old it's ridiculous.

They don't steal this money. It's just the politics of envy.

Indeed, Ninja.

I hate these threads. They attract some really ugly and bloody stupid responses.

Agreed ninja.

I have recently started working for a family who are in a very very good financial position, I thought I would find them stuck up and all high and mighty

But, they are the nicest people they have worked so so hard to get where they are.

My husband could probably earn huge amounts however we chose family life first over the money, I would rather have him home than him work 70 hour weeks. He works crappy hours and I barely get help but we are content I suppose

I certainly won't begrudge anyone free meals.

Sausages, pizza, roast dinner, chilli and some sort of fish product and chips is not going to control obesity. The food at DS's school is shocking and I wouldn't take up free school meals for him there.

The money would be better off spent on educating people as to what a healthy balanced diet is and giving children a good hearty breakfast at the beginning of the school day and a piece if fruit at snack time.

DH earned under the threshold for CB. His company did well this year, and his profit share has pushed us over the threshold. Whilst this was a welcome surprise it's an absolute pain to now have to fill in tax returns and arrange to pay some of the money back. Surely the manpower to check and process the forms will cost more than the money they want to claw back from us.

The cost of the actual school meals food is minimal compared to the money they spend on catering staff. They still have those salaries to pay whether there are 20 kids having lunch or 200. I just hope that the increased number of families being fed will lead to an increase in those campaigning for better quality food.

Daniel Pelker would not have been saved by getting a free school meal. His emaciated state should have been picked up by the multiple public sectors involved with his family and wasn't, he would have suffered the same fate even if he got a free meal each day it's just that the huge flashing warning of him going through bins wouldn't have been seen (not that they were acted in but that's a whole other thread!)

And I resent taxes being used in this way. It's like a fecking nanny state. I feed my kids well, a lot better than the shit they dish up at school. Use the money where it's needed and stop patronising us.

It's also conceivable that high income households have little disposable income.

Why should we race to the bottom.

Because it's not fair, Ninja. If I can't have it, nobody should. Unless maybe they live in a box, through no fault of their own

I mean, why should anyone take any notice of research demonstrating that free school meals for all actually benefits all? Or that admin costs for removing universal CB out strips any savings? Or of the way the removal of the principle of universal CB is part of an irreversible erosion of the state's obligation to society?

It's also conceivable that high income households have little disposable income.

we have very little disposable income stop moaning Ninja and your comment up thread about envy find your grip dear people are not envious they are pissed off by being penalised for not having a 2 person working household, for whatever reason,

It seems madness to me that after the CB changes they seem to find the money for this. The CB criteria are unfair no matter where you think the cut off should lie. It should be calculated on joint income.

Thanks MrsJay for that adult response.

It seems that those making the most noise about "fairness" are only actually thinking of themselves so should be calling for fairness only to them.

There is a bigger, more complex picture than the amount of money coming into a household. If once all the outgoings are done, if there's nothing left, it's still nothing. There's your level playing field.

I also agree with those who say the quality of school meals is questionable. We have no choice but to pay for school meals as packed lunches are not allowed. Although the menu looks good on paper, I have been told by some of the older children that the quality isn't great and the portion sizes small. We have to balance that out by making sure DS1 eats well at home.

agree, this lib dem policy for free school meals for all kids under seven is madness. also the help with childcare for higher earners. I didn't mind that much giving up our childbenefit if thats what was required to save our countries finances ....but object if money is going to be squandered in this way. people should attempt to pay for their own kids, if they really can't because they are on such a low wage then that is the only time we should step in to cover cost of food/childcare etc.

my other objection is that they should be focussing money and resource on teaching my kids properly, not gimicks such as free school meals.

If it benefits the children I can see no harm in that. They are trying to encourage and reward working families thats all.

What gets me too is my 3 ks2 kids won't be getting it and as we're not married (22 years unmarried) we won't get the married tax allowance either and being just over the threshold will lose CB.

I just can't believe the help other families are getting on a lot more.

Soooo because we don't fit the condem ideal picture of 2 married working parents with ks1 kids we're not worthy even though we're getting a lot less than many.

Why can't all parents have CB if we're going down the route of universal benefits?

They're saying it's worth £400 per child so that's £1200 school dinners,£150 married tax allowance,£2400 CB a year we're losing out on on top of losing an extra tax threshold and paying the higher tax rate.

The unfairness is bonkers just because we don't fit their picture of a worthy family.

"What gets me too is my 3 ks2 kids won't be getting it and as we're not married (22 years unmarried) we won't get the married tax allowance either and being just over the threshold will lose CB"

Surely the answer is to get married. It doesn't have to be expensive and you would recover the costs if you want to transfer tax allowances. Marriage is way of legally registering a relationship as being significant. (Whether this is right or wrong is another thread and prehaps we need civil partnerships)

I feel that politicans should remember the reason that married tax allowance was scrapped in the first place. Being able to transfer tax allowance to a high earner discouraged mothers (on a low income) from returning to the workplace.

YANBU. The CB, childcare and new free school meals policy is unfair and needs rethinking. They should be available to ALL families.

September 2014 - free school meals for under sevens.
7 May 2015 (except in the event of an early collapse of government) - a General Election.

Call me cynical but Clegg and Dave have got to do something to try and win back all the voters they have alienated. We were conned.

We don't want to get married thanks.

I'd sooner they spent the money on nutrition and cooking courses for children.

"I'd sooner they spent the money on nutrition and cooking courses for children."

Schools have had cooking lessons for years.

That has been tried in my area and frankly the families who go are the ones who could run the course!! Parents who send in crap often do so because they cannot afford high quality ingredients or know how to resource ingredients cheaply.

A key stage 1 child is not capable of making their own packed lunch or doing the shopping.

it seems the tide has turned recently and now people are moaning about those who actually pay a lot into the system,getting anything back.It used to be the opposite,whats happened?Do some people really think that those who pay a lot of tax,which goes towards paying all their tax credits and child benefit,dont deserve to get something back too?how is that fair?

Ring we pay a lot of tax but get nothing back,sweet fa even though we need it.

We were told this was because the country was broke so kind of resent those earning a lot more and going by the Tory rhetoric welthy and not needing state help errrr actually getting it with bells on.

op you can't moan about the marriage tax and not getting it if you don't want to get married.. there are plenty of reasons to get married legal wise that is