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Original poster

Tories going to axe free school meals

640 replies

cannotbelievethistoday · 18/05/2017 06:46

So I have 2 children in private school.

Labour want to put VAT on private school fees, and extend free school meals to all primary children.

Tories are going to remove infant free school meals.

Bloody hell. And still people will vote Tory.

(My 2 kids are in private school - I totally agree with labour on this one)

OP posts:
Demiguise · 18/05/2017 08:16

Nice principle, origami, except the Tories would rather prioritise lower corporation tax over investing in the NHS...

corythatwas · 18/05/2017 08:17

avocado, how does density of population affect school meals? fewer school children to feed also means fewer taxpayers to pay for it.

ClarkWGriswold · 18/05/2017 08:18

Children with parents on lower incomes will still get free school meals. It is madness for families on high incomes to be claiming free school meals when the money can be spent more effectively elsewhere.

I am in agreement with this policy.

Parents also have the choice to send their children in with a packed lunch.

OhGodWhatTheHellNow · 18/05/2017 08:18

Ffs, do all the 'Tory bastards' posters realise that the universal FSM was not applied in Labour-run Wales ( education is devolved)? So the Tories are actually aligning themselves with the existing Labour Welsh Assembly...

It was a stupid policy and the Welsh Assembly recognised that and thought there were better uses for the money.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 18/05/2017 08:18

But when schools are massively underfunded I'd rather the money was spent on funding them better.

There is no indication that this is going to happen.

CheeseQueen · 18/05/2017 08:18

They take from the sick. They take from the old. And now they target hungry children.

Eh? Universally free school meals for all infants isn't taking away from hungry children. Confused
Hungry children would still have them, they're not taking away free school meals.
Just means testing them because it stands everyone gets them, which is a bit daft.
We'd qualify, which even though would be very lovely, isn't needed as they get lots of food at home and could pay for school dinners too.

origamiwarrior · 18/05/2017 08:18

And I totally get that Demiguise (and won't be voting Tory). But I can't support Labour either because of this totally wasteful policy!

blueteapot · 18/05/2017 08:20

Here in NI free school meals are available for people meeting certain criteria - on income support, income under xxxxx etc. The rest of us pay and quite rightly so, and I like knowing that the safety net of a hot balanced daily meal and pudding is there for the poorest kids if it is needed. Incidently ours cost £12.25 a week for a 2 course meal. DS is in nursery (reception?) and hot meals are mandatory in his class - to do with teaching them to eat together, table manners etc - not all NI schools are they mandatory. We are still decidig whether or not to move to packed lunch in Sept when he starts P1 - I think we will as when DD starts next year then suddenly the cost doubling up on school meals might start to be more of a significant cost for us. Packed lunch would be the cheaper option

corythatwas · 18/05/2017 08:21

"'Hungry children'......... Grin"

Edsheer, you do realise that there are plenty of families using foodbanks in this country,? Plenty of families who are struggling to feed their children. And quite a few of them for reasons which could not be foreseen when those same children were conceived. And even if they should have foreseen it- how does that help the children? Are you really happy for children to go hungry because their parents should have known better?

ClarkWGriswold · 18/05/2017 08:23

Just to ask; what is the proposed earnings benchmark for free school meals going to be?

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 18/05/2017 08:25

corythatwas those children would still get them.

It is going to means tested not go completely.

ClarkWGriswold the manifesto hasn't been launched yet. These are just headlines that are being taken from it.

Whosthemummynow · 18/05/2017 08:27

It seems some have forgotten that the "universal free school meals" policy was a brainchild of the lib dems. It cost our local school thousands as they had to build a kitchen to provide hot meals. Before only a cold packed lunch had been offered. I'm glad it could be scrapped. It was very ill thought out in the first place!!

Farontothemaddingcrowd · 18/05/2017 08:27

I struggle but I don't qualify for free school meals. I benefit hugely from the help at infant stage. I'm sure there are many others like me.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 18/05/2017 08:28

Just to ask; what is the proposed earnings benchmark for free school meals going to be?

It will probably be the same as at present so just over 16k.

ChestnutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire · 18/05/2017 08:28

Labours policy is a bonkers one. This sounds very sensible as does removing certain benefits from wealthy pensioners. Don't like the rest of the Tory manifesto much though.

upperlimit · 18/05/2017 08:29

Yes but the free school meals is limited to those who get by on less than £17k. To think that that encompasses all the children who are living in food poverty all of of the fall out from that is niave.

upperlimit · 18/05/2017 08:31

Actually, on reflection, I don't think it is niave at all, I think that it is being willfully blind.

WatchingFromTheWings · 18/05/2017 08:34

Is universal free school meals just in England? We don't get that in Wales, we pay for dinners.

I'm a labour voter but agree FSM shouldn't be for everyone. It should be means tested.

Even when I was entitled to it (I was a single mum of 3 for a few years on HB, TC, council tax benefit etc but worked 8 hours a week) I never applied for it. Never felt I needed to, though I get that there are those that need it. I preferred 'my share' went to those that really needed it.

ClarkWGriswold · 18/05/2017 08:35

It will probably be the same as at present so just over 16k

Thanks. To me this is sensible.

corythatwas · 18/05/2017 08:36

I understand that, Piglet. It was Edsheer's hearty laughter at the thought that some children might be hungry.

Actually not sure where I stand on Labour's proposition. Don't really think it would work in this country- not enough taxpayers willing to fund decent food, not enough parents to give up on their children's right to be fed junk food. Anyway, just at the moment I wish they would concentrate on essentials and not make promises that seem expensive and unrealistic.

RoseandVioletCreams · 18/05/2017 08:37

My in laws are very wealthy I dont think they should get a winter fuel allowance its bloody stupid! DP were not wealthy and they truly needed it. Of course WF should be means tested what a waste giving 300 a year to millionaires!

School meals on the other hand.....would have made big difference to us in next few years.

Do secondary meals get funded?

DoorwayToNorway · 18/05/2017 08:38

I just don't get why Britain can't afford free school meals AND more books/teachers/resources. Well actually it can.

The free school meals are good for those who need it, not needed for those who can afford it true, but what about the ones who are borderline? There are many families who are in the middle ground. They can afford to get school meals but they are budgeting and worrying. It makes a few borderline people a little bit richer. Taxing the richer ones and giving the poorer ones a little more evens out the gap between the rich and poor. That's what labour is about. That gives a much healthier society.

InMySpareTime · 18/05/2017 08:38

People on this thread are saying they could easily afford £10-£20 a week for their DCs school lunches, yet on other threads people on over £80k a year are threatening to leave the country rather than be taxed similar amounts extra Confused.

MacarenaFerreiro · 18/05/2017 08:39

Eh? Universally free school meals for all infants isn't taking away from hungry children. Hungry children would still have them, they're not taking away free school meals.

Totally agree. But that doesn't fit into the blinkered thinking of some people who won't even countenance the idea that the Conservatives are suggesting something sensible. As soon as they hear the word "Conservative" the shutters come down and they lose the capacity for rational thought. It's like the SNP supporters who are programmed to spontaneously combust if they say "Conservative" - it's "Tories" only.

Spouting on about hungry children is just daft. When this policy was introduced in Scotland I did a bit of digging and found that only 6 children at our Primary were eligible for free school meals. Nobody knows who these children are - it's very well managed. So giving free meals to all Infants (approx 150 of them) was a freebie for over 145 parents who can afford to feed their kids already. Totally pointless.

Wonder if the same people objecting to removing this universal benefit were the same people who were cheering in delight when Child Benefit was removed for higher earners? Probably.

BishopBrennansArse · 18/05/2017 08:40

Really lovely of Giles to allude to children with special needs being down to poor parenting.

Not in the spirit of this is my child, is it?
Bearing in mind fidget spinners started life as a tool to aid concentration in some children with ASC/ADHD. NT kids decided to make it a craze and now those who actually need them can't use them Angry