What should be free but isn't

[mummyrabbitpeppapig]

I'll start. Sanitary protection and condoms.

Newjob because only women of a certain age need sanpro, toilet roll is used by everyone so not even remotely similar situation. Why are we penalised for being female, it's bad enough having to go through it every month without also having to try to find the money to buy sanpro

Condoms are free, but its a hell of a lot easier for a man to keep his pants on than it is for a woman to stop herself bleeding!

Splodgeinc yes i said the same thing about paracetamol.
sometimes though pharmacy won't sell you the items without a prescription, even otc items!
if you're on other medications the only way to get the same items is a prescription, you can't win

*I think that low income families get a rougher deal when it comes to 'freebies'

As an example. I'm a single parent and am only £20 per week better off working than if I were on benefits. At my dc school they are required to learn an instrument. I have to pay £45 per term for this each child, whereas if I were unemployed they would be eligible for a bursary, Which covers the whole cost. Same with school trips. There's an Italy trip which I can't afford, but half the kids going are getting it paid for as their parents don't work. I don't begrudge their children having the opportunities that they wouldn't otherwise have but feel sad as I work really hard for minimum wage and my dc miss out.*

Agree 100%

I personally think everyone should be forced to work 40 hours a week for no pay and the govt will deliver a box of healthy food and goods based on average needs and healthy calorie count.
Everyone contributes and receives equally, no complaints can be made.

Are you mad?

Dental work. Inc braces, bridges and implants. The lot 😊
And parking.
Chocolate would be good too.
Oh nearly forgot...wine.

bobbly,
Don't get me started, listen to this.
We enrolled our 7 year old to a after school maths/English school or whatever you want to call it( club).
It is called explorer learning and we were paying £30 a week by direct debit( £120 a month) plus a joining fee.
After about 2 months my OH said to me that he was told my another parent that they send their two kids there and pay the same we are paying for one child.
He was actually bragging about getting it half price because he doesn't work, rubbing our noses in it that we work and pay taxes and NI.
We immediately removed our daughter as we felt the company was not being honest by disclosing they accept families on benefits but accept fee paying families to pay their wages.

Dental care, eye tests, prescriptions up to a limit perhaps, University fees. Sanitary protection. Careers services and help for adults to hone CV skills, interview skills etc. Childcare. Hospital car parking. Mental health services. Alternative health care for those who genuinely can't afford it (homeopathy/hypnotherapy/osteopathy.)

avamiah my understanding of explore learning is that most centres are ofsted registered and it counts as childcare for tax Credit purposes, so families entitled to childcare tax credit can claim up to 70% of their explore learning fees Back from tax Credits. I expect families might be able to use the childcare voucher scheme for the same reason.

However, lots of places offer sibling Discounts regardless of parental income.

As for nappies, school uniforms, et free, you had a kid if you dont want to pay for its upkeep dont have any

I agree with the nappies - parents have a choice to use pampers, Aldi or cloth depending on their budget.

But school uniform is another story. It's compulsory and parents have no choice. 2 of my dc are at secondary and If the school said they have to wear a uniform that costs £1000 each the child would have to wear it or be sent home. They've taken the parents choice away. They could put the price up at any time, change the uniform (happening at my dc school now as it's changing name in sept) and you have to fork out all over again or your children won't be allowed to attend. Kids grow so that could be £1000's a year.

I can afford to clothe my children according to my budget but schools are dictating what you have to spend.

And again - there's a uniform grant if you are unemployed but not for low income families.

Alternative health care for those who genuinely can't afford it (homeopathy/hypnotherapy/osteopathy.)

Homeopathy, seriously? It's one thing for people to waste their own money on placebos as complementary 'therapy' (but can be tragic if they actually use it as an alternative to real treatment); the idea that others should subsidize it is bizarre.

I personally think everyone should be forced to work 40 hours a week for no pay and the govt will deliver a box of healthy food and goods based on average needs and healthy calorie count.

HAHAHAHAHAHAAA! BONKERS!!! We'll all just sit in the street, naked, with no furniture, but we'll have a healthy veg box to munch on! I'm sure all the mega high earners will love that plan!

Mandy, I missed that comment . Utterly bonkers.

How dreadful, Avamiah. The children of people on benefits get to do the same course as your child but for half the price. Shouldn't be allowed. You did the right thing in removing your child

I suspect (hope!) that box suggestion was meant ironically as the ultimate conclusion of people wanting everything 'free'.

Caroldecker ^"I personally think everyone should be forced to work 40 hours a week for no pay and the govt will deliver a box of healthy food and goods based on average needs and healthy calorie count.
Everyone contributes and receives equally, no complaints can be made."^

FORCE THEM TO WORK!

How can let's say a person in a coma work for 40 hours per week?

How can someone with chronic pain be 'forced' to work for 40 hours per week?

How can you force that person over there who is suffering from dementia to work for 40 hours?

How can you force that 19 year old in university to work for 40 hours a week?

How can you force that person in hospital on a life support machine to work for 40 hours?

What about that woman over there? The one who is severely mentally ill and a danger to herself and others? What 40 hour a week job should she be forced to do?

What about that 47 year old who is crippled form arthritis...?

NO PAY IN RETURN FOR FOOD AND GOODS
Oh, I see, these people who are forced to work don't need to pay for electricity... water... rent... travel... life.. kids... council tax... tv license... phone bills...

'Alternative health care for those who genuinely can't afford it (homeopathy/hypnotherapy/osteopathy.)'

There's nothing stopping practitioners of these alternatives from offering their services pro bono to those who cannot afford it.

Water

ALL medications should be free, no one asked the the ailment.

ALL sanitary products, no one asked for periods/weak bladder/bowel

ALL clothes, I certainly didn't ask for being naked to be illegal

ALL food, I didn't design myself to require nutrition.

When people say 'water', do they mean drinking water or also for other purposes - I would presume sanitation and a hygienic level of washing, but what about car cleaning, garden watering etc? One of the things that adds cost is that we use perfectly drinkable water for everything. A solution to this might be metering with a certain volume per person 'free' but then quite high charges for additional use. Maybe some tariffs are already somewhat like this?

Childcare should be heavily, heavily subsidized. It is absolute madness to have women who want to go back to work but can't because they'd be making a loss.

That has a knock on effect on their future employability, their earning potential across their lifetime, the tax/revenue they will contribute. And it's skills lost from the workplace. It effects lower paid sectors more profoundly, so things like charity/NGOs.

Discounting childcare makes so much economic sense in the long term. I can't understand why the powers that be don't get this.

Sanpro
Wifi
School Meals
Travel to School (it is for my daughter already-should be National)
Insurance Water Gas Electricity Government controlled-no shareholders to pay.
Essential medication
Reduce/remove Foreign Aid to pay for it all

Forgot Dental/eyecare
& Childcare

Abolish TV Licences
I'm on a roll, me...................

On the childcare point, a friend of mine who lives in a wealthy London suburb was just quoted £3,000 a month for a nursery place for her 3 year old. Admittedly it's a fancy ass nursery, but it's the only one she can find in the locality that has a place.

How much would you need to earn before tax to cover that? The mind boggles.

Not free but I think thrush treatment should be a lot cheaper. It can be online but that doesn't help you same day.

I'm a carer for DD so I have an exemption card which means I can use the minor ailment scheme at the chemist, I have used it in the past for the treatment as I couldn't afford £13 for a tablet that week.