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Original poster

Free school meals

140 replies

Blackteadrinker77 · 14/03/2018 09:59

AIBU to be disgusted that our government has voted to effectively take 1 million children's free school meals away?

www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2018/mar/13/one-million-children-hungry-new-plans-free-school-meals

OP posts:
Cuckwho · 14/03/2018 11:24

This is nonsense, no child receiving free school meals will lose out and an extra 50,000 will get them. www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-labour-arent-telling-the-full-story-about-free-school-meals

VioletteValentia · 14/03/2018 11:24

It’s disgusting. The DUP are also odious little cunts, who supported this move for children in the U.K. providing Northern Ireland wouldn’t be affected.

I hate this govt.

Original poster
Blackteadrinker77 · 14/03/2018 11:29

@justanotherlurker

In short: if everyone on Universal Credit were entitled to free school meals, then by the time it was rolled out across the country, 1.8 million children would have a free school meal every day. The new means test will see only about 650,000 children on free school meals. That’s a difference of just over a million.

This is from your link, are you supporting this? You want to take lunch from a child who is poor?

OP posts:
Original poster
Blackteadrinker77 · 14/03/2018 11:34

This is nonsense, no child receiving free school meals will lose out

All future claimants will. On one dining table you will potentially have children who's family incomes are identical qualifying or not qualifying depending on when they started their claims.

It really disgusts me.

OP posts:
SweetMoon · 14/03/2018 11:37

Anyone who gets them now will continue to get them. It affects those coming up as far as I understand from what I've read. The earning threshold does seem low, but then families on such a low income do get additional financial help. So really they should take into account total family income when working out the threshold as there will be some families much worse off (earn more but get less additional financial help etc)

Upto Year 2 is still free for all children isn't it?

The free school meals previously did seem somewhat vague. I am a single mum of 5 and on a low wage but I suppose just over the threshold to receive this. Mind take packed lunch as I certainly cannot afford them all a school dinner. But I have a friend who receives free school meals yet her husband earns more than twice what I do (she doesn't work). So I have no idea how this would be? Shouldn't it be based on family income and not one persons income (mother doesn't work so I guess it was due to this).

End of the day, our government should be looking out for the wellbeing of children whose parents cannot afford them a proper dinner. There are lots of reception to Year 2 children at my ds school whose parents can afford this no problem. My children get a cooked dinner by me everyday even though things are very tight financially. But I can afford to feed them. I would rather my reception child's free dinner goes to a child who would not otherwise get one.

doze931 · 14/03/2018 11:42

Free school meals in Northern Ireland are means tested. Not sure what actual requirements are as i dont qualify and we arent on a huge wage. incomes below 12,500 sounds familiar though that figure might be incorrect

steff13 · 14/03/2018 11:53

Free school meals in Northern Ireland are means tested.

That's how it is here. You get free lunch if your family is at or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Level, and a reduced lunch if your family is between 130% and 185% of Federal Poverty Level.

Gromance02 · 14/03/2018 11:53

I don't know many people that could afford to have 5 children.

cucaracha · 14/03/2018 11:59

I don't know many people that could afford to have 5 children.

In the UK, you are better off, we get an awful lot of help. I wouldn't advise anyone to start a big family now if they are now able to support them though, things are changing.

doze931 · 14/03/2018 12:03

ours is all or nothing. You either qualify or you dont, no reduced rate or anything.

VioletteValentia · 14/03/2018 12:03

This also really hurts disabled parents, who are often low income and may struggle cooking both for financial reasons and by the restrictions of not being abled.

Fuck those who voted for this.

Gromance02 · 14/03/2018 12:05

In the UK, you are better off, we get an awful lot of help. I wouldn't advise anyone to start a big family now if they are now able to support them though, things are changing
It should never have been the case that people had children expecting someone else to pay for their lifestyle choice. Maybe things are swinging too far the other way though.

Didntcomeheretofuckspiders · 14/03/2018 12:06

I emailed my MP (horrible man that he is) about this earlier. How he thinks it’s in the interest of his constituents to vote for this is beyond me.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 14/03/2018 12:08

MyDc really? I'll have to look into that.

VioletteValentia · 14/03/2018 12:08

It should never have been the case that people had children expecting someone else to pay for their lifestyle choice.

Only the rich are allowed kids I guess.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 14/03/2018 12:10

I know Blacktea 😢

Original poster
Blackteadrinker77 · 14/03/2018 12:14

skwawkbox.org/2018/03/14/list-of-shame-the-315-mps-who-voted-to-take-free-school-meals-from-1m-poor-children/

The list of MP'S who voted for this.

It wasn't just the free school meals it was also the nursery vouchers

working parents who wish to join the Childcare Voucher scheme need to do so as soon as possible. Parents can do this by making a salary sacrifice from their pay prior to the closure date – no later than the end of March 2018. If you have any friends, family or colleagues who might benefit, including new parents or those on maternity or shared parental leave, make sure they know now.

OP posts:
cucaracha · 14/03/2018 12:14

Only the rich are allowed kids I guess.

what a truly stupid comment. You believe it's right to have more kids than you can afford? How is that fair on your child? You should have kids for them, not for you. They are not a pet.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 14/03/2018 12:14

cucaracha because for some families £9 a week per child is a drop in the ocean, others struggle to find it every week.

Miloarmadillo2 · 14/03/2018 12:15

I suspect it's also a way of reducing school funding as the additional payments for schools in deprived areas are based on number of children claiming FSM.

poshme · 14/03/2018 12:20

All the people currently in free school meals will still get them.

If the system continued as it is, 50,000 fewer kids would get FSM than the new system they just voted for.

Channel 4 news factcheck.

poshme · 14/03/2018 12:21

Nursery vouchers- I may be wrong, but I think self employed people couldn't use them. But the new system they can.
Why is that bad?

VioletteValentia · 14/03/2018 12:21

what a truly stupid comment. You believe it's right to have more kids than you can afford? How is that fair on your child? You should have kids for them, not for you. They are not a pet.

Everyone should be able to have kids. No one should have to not have them because they can’t afford it. What a piss poor state of affairs when the sixth largest economy is effectively enacting financial genocide against the poor.

Capitalists are awful.

Original poster
Blackteadrinker77 · 14/03/2018 12:21

I don't know many people that could afford to have 5 children

Maybe the poster could afford five children before they became a single parent. None of your business really.

I suspect it's also a way of reducing school funding as the additional payments for schools in deprived areas are based on number of children claiming FSM

I wasn't even aware of that. You could well be right if that is the case.

OP posts:
KatherinaMinola · 14/03/2018 12:22

This is nonsense, no child receiving free school meals will lose out and an extra 50,000 will get them.

www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-labour-arent-telling-the-full-story-about-free-school-meals

You have to scroll to the end of the link above posted by Cuckwho to see the conclusion - the govt's proposal's do mean cuts in future (or a less generous scenario than previously proposed).

I'm in favour of universal FSM for the same reason I'm in favour of universal cold weather payments: not everyone who gets them needs them, but everyone who needs them gets them.