Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
cucaracha · 14/03/2018 12:22

if you struggle to find £9 a week, why on earth did you decide to have children? How exactly were you expecting to feed them, dress them, how did you think that could possibly work?

KatherinaMinola · 14/03/2018 12:22

(I'm talking about the cold weather payments for elderly people btw)

sirlee66 · 14/03/2018 12:24

School dinners are so overpriced as it is anyway! My school charge £18 a week and the portions are tiny for what you are paying for! (Mind you, probably a good portion for a child) it's soooo much cheaper to bring in a packed lunch than to pay for the school meals so I don't get how they expect low income parents to pay for the dinners at all.

At the very, very least, they need some sort of initiative for packed lunches made and bought in from home when this change occurs.

KatherinaMinola · 14/03/2018 12:25

if you struggle to find £9 a week, why on earth did you decide to have children? How exactly were you expecting to feed them, dress them, how did you think that could possibly work?

That might be an interesting topic for discussion, but the more important point is that children are going hungry in the school holidays (and creating pressure on foodbanks) because they aren't getting their lunch paid for. That is the pressing issue we have to deal with.

VioletteValentia · 14/03/2018 12:25

if you struggle to find £9 a week, why on earth did you decide to have children? How exactly were you expecting to feed them, dress them, how did you think that could possibly work?

Maybe that person believes having children to be what they wanted to do with their life? Maybe they are kind and nurturing and think they’re a good parent? Maybe they desperately want to have children because it’s a biological need? Maybe they’re from a culture that expects it? Maybe they got pregnant by accident?

Not really your concern.

RoadToRivendell · 14/03/2018 12:26

Capitalists are awful.

Yes, so much better to have despots divvying up the spoils.

VioletteValentia · 14/03/2018 12:26

I think it’s disgusting we have people swanning around in second homes in this country yet we tell others they’re too poor to have kids.

The absolute state of it.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 14/03/2018 12:26

Yes SweetMoon, but we often have to make the choice between paying the bills or paying for DD's lunches. The help we receive isn't enough.

Miloarmadillo2 · 14/03/2018 12:27

"My" scumbag MP voted for this (and I did not vote for him!)

Miloarmadillo2 · 14/03/2018 12:30

blackteadrinker www.theschoolrun.com/pupil-premium-explained

ghostyslovesheets · 14/03/2018 12:30

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

Yes and no one ever goes from being able to support their families to not being able to due to redundancy, divorce, death etc obviously Hmm

VioletteValentia · 14/03/2018 12:31

My MP voted for this too. Ugh.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 14/03/2018 12:31

cucaracha DH was a self employed decorator. Because he didn't earn enough to pay the rent, the HB office forced him to sign on, because he "wasn't earning enough to support his family". The first job he managed to get doesn't pay enough to survive without WTC. I can't afford to work, as we wouldn't be able to afford wraparound childcare.

cucaracha · 14/03/2018 12:31

Maybe that person believes having children to be what they wanted to do with their life? Maybe they are kind and nurturing and think they’re a good parent? Maybe they desperately want to have children because it’s a biological need?

so selfish irresponsible idiots who expect the state to pay for them. How shameful and embarrassing. Poor kids.

If the struggling families were only families who had been struck by disaster, there wouldn't be such a problem, we would have the resources to help them.

Original poster
Blackteadrinker77 · 14/03/2018 12:31

Yes SweetMoon, but we often have to make the choice between paying the bills or paying for DD's lunches

That is disgusting and now even more families will face that reality.

OP posts:
VioletteValentia · 14/03/2018 12:32

so selfish irresponsible idiots who expect the state to pay for them. How shameful and embarrassing. Poor kids.

Think it’s more shameful and embarrassing to live in one of the richest countries in the world yet hoard the wealth and think you’re somehow morally superior to those without, personally.

VioletteValentia · 14/03/2018 12:34

There is absolutely no need for poverty in the U.K. It’s ideologically driven to keep those who benefit from it benefiting from it, and to divide the working classes in order to keep them from realising.

Original poster
Blackteadrinker77 · 14/03/2018 12:36

My MP voted for this too

Make sure your MP knows you disagree with his vote. I would also make sure people locally knew.

OP posts:
maddiemookins16mum · 14/03/2018 12:37

FSM for all (of a certain age) is ridiculous. It's not for the tax payer/government etc to feed the kids of those earning huge salaries. It was meant to be for the most needy, not everyone.

VioletteValentia · 14/03/2018 12:37

Make sure your MP knows you disagree with his vote. I would also make sure people locally knew.

Yeah, I will be bringing this to attention. I’m fairly active politically and am appalled by this.

CableKnitHuman · 14/03/2018 12:38

the government now intends to introduce a net household earnings threshold of £7,400 (£18,000 to £24,000 a year including benefits).

So, this means someone on a salary of 23500 would still receive free school meals? I can't figure out the 7,400 figure - is that total household income after tax?

lostherenow · 14/03/2018 12:38

The new system will be fairer than the old one, as under the old system even if you were on a very low income if you were working and claiming working tax credits you didn't get FSM. My understanding is now its about total income so it closes that loophole. Its only a cut because the planning of universal credit was so poor that loads of extra kids have been qualifying for a short time.

What would be an improvement is to invest more money in school catering so that kids on FSM aren't singled out. There should be no more wasting half their lunchtime queueing to get a token signifying they are a dirt poor kid and then queuing again to get their food. No wonder many teens dont bother collecting the FSM they are entitled to.

Theweaknessiscrispsandwine · 14/03/2018 12:39

It's the children I feel for. Those who need school to be their safe place, where they can have a proper meal. Why punish the innocent?
Ar*e holes!

CableKnitHuman · 14/03/2018 12:40

Ok, so now I understand - it's not family income of 7.400 - its universal credits of 7,400 - family income will be between 18,000 and 24,000 per year.

lostherenow · 14/03/2018 12:40

CableKnitHuman its earned income up to £7k, but a family on that income would receive benefits that would take their actually income up to between £18k and £24k.