To wonder if there are any benefits to the change in income based free school meals?

[Ansumpasty]

As above...does this benefit anyone? What good comes of it, besides saving money to use elsewhere?

For most people claiming benefits is their only choice. Plenty are single parents through unplanned circumstance.

The most impoverished members of society are actually those families desperate to support themselves on low wage jobs and thus qualifying for little or no benefits. That's why the change to free school meals to incorporate low income families in receipt of working tax credit is a good thing.

It's income based rather then awarded only to those claiming full state benefit.

TakeTheRest we're on WTC. If we weren't, we wouldn't have enough money to live. DH works a hard, physical job, comes home, has something to eat and falls asleep. Not having enough money for the week is not a lifestyle choice. I've just had to ask my DM for money for coats for the DC. Next week I have to buy DD a swimming bag for school. I also have to buy them some kind of Easter eggs and stuff to make Easter bonnets for school. And I have to pay my phone bill.

DH had a good job when we had DC TakeTheRest.

I really sympathise perfectly there are too many decent hard working families stuck now in a nightmare poverty trap with no choice but to keep scraping by, haemorrhaging money on sky high rent worried sick about the next bill and claiming a few pounds a week in tax credits.

That's why it's a slap in the face to be told You shouldn't have had children, you've made a lifestyle choice.
It's a convenient way of writing off the poor isn't it. It's their fault, they don't deserve help.

Perhaps the changes in the fsm system also means less administrative costs? So further savings. Also, looking at the fact check from channel 4, they seem to emphasise that it would mainly impact on new uc claimants.

For most people claiming benefits is their only choice

I highly doubt that. Plenty on here alone admit to claiming top ups or full benefits as they want to be a SAHP, lots work the magic sixteen hours and refuse to do more as they lose benefits, they want to live in a certain area, have children they can't afford etc. It's amazing how many lose the ability to work after children if they ever did.

If everyone who claimed truly had no choice there wouldn't have been any need to change the system or introduce caps.

Providing shelter/food/heat should be a parenting basic. If they won't do that they what does it say?

Sorry that's a small minded attitude. The problem is paying daily childcare fees that are equal to or more than a days pay for a lot of people. Circumstances change, you can't send a child back once it's here.
It's not laziness. No one is having the life of riley living on benefits that's for sure.

Channel four are twisting the truth. The threshold has been nearly halved to what is was previously.
Also schools get far less money as they lose pp.

OOff tourniifj jorse
I’m a single mother. Two children. Both parents dead.

You presume that because i disagree with you I have a charmed life. Open your mind!

Sorry that should read

OP off your high horse

Wrong thread, sorry

Isn't the 'social stigma' thing a load of bollox? The kids don't handle cash, it's all done online so I really don't see how they would know who got FSM.

Also, all the petitions I have seen are about infant meals - when there are to be no changes to infant meals! So frustrating that people sign things without checking the facts!!