Mp’s asking for £700 for FSM children

[Struggling2020]

Thoughts on this?

news.sky.com/story/amp/coronavirus-school-closures-will-worsen-north-south-education-divide-say-mps-11980290

Maybe I’m bitter (actually I AM bitter) but it’s not just the poorest kids who are struggling. In fact my friends on full benefits are the most secure right now out of all of us, they can focus 100% of their time and attention on their kids as no work to do from home and they’re still getting FSM with no worries about losing their jobs or reduction in income, intact according to them, benefits have gone up this month. (Fully appreciate this may not be the case all round)

In my experience, It’s those of us in the squeezed middle struggling! Trying to work and homeschool, struggling financially as everyone at home for lunches as opposed to usual nursery/ks1 free lunch. Worried about our jobs and what the future holds. Many of us forced onto reduced hours.

I understand statistically that those on FSM are more likely to fall behind. But is this another way of trying to disguise the issues? Trying to fit people into boxes of how we can help. The rich will be fine, the poor will be helped, the middle will be forgotten?

I think I need perspective.... my AIBU

AIBU to think it is not just FSM children who are disadvantaged by the current situation and actually, the problem is much bigger than that?

It has to be said I do not begrudge anyone a one off payment if it would help them cope.

£700 sounds a lot but it’s a drop in the ocean if you have no other help or support. It could put food on the table, pay electricity/gas bills etc.

How many children have you and have you a partner/husband?

funinthesun19, I really don't know enough, clearly, but that is a stunningly stark post that explains the complete disparity that some children have to deal with. The disadvantage seems huge.

I absolutely agree that the help should go to where it's really needed; there's no reason for payments/assistance to go elsewhere, just in the name of fairness because it's not a fair situation being dealt with and all things are not equal.

I've given the OP the benefit of the doubt that this isn't just a gossip-mongering bash at those in receipt of FSM, I really hope it isn't and it's certainly not where I stand.

Morality aside even logistically its the best solution imo.

For all children? People will simply moan that those who don’t need it will get it, and it’s funds being taken away from something else.

For all “lower-achieving” pupils? The administrative nightmare and costs associated would make it about as beneficial to do for all children.

As many have pointed out you can be assured life is absolutely stacked against them in them every other manner.

My thread wasn’t about free school meals! FSM qualifying children are the children who qualify for the £700 grant, that’s where the FSM part came in. And no, I can’t afford to feed my kids, I think the threshold is far too low when you consider it is £8,000 pre benefits. Would make more sense to do it as the overall income including benefits, so currently a family who earns £20k from benefits alone will be entitled but a family on £18k salary with £2k benefit top ups will not be entitled. It doesn’t make sense personally and would make far more sense to up the threshold for those entitled but anyway, that’s another discussion.

I think it would make more sense to extend the extra funds to include those who need it as well as those who receive FSM’s. Fair enough some of you have said this will cost more to work out but I still think it should be extended, teAchers will know pretty quickly once schools go back which kids will need extra support.

I don’t know how many more times I can say it, you’re mostly ignoring it anyway im not saying pupils who are eligible for FSM’s should not receive the grant or their meals, I’m saying it should be extended to include all children who require it as children in receipt of FSM will not be the only children struggling at this time, even if statistically they are the most likely too.

What I don't understand, nor does the head of year and school, plus the pyschologist and others who are working with myself and one of my dc's.
Is to catch up on what exactly?
No mandatory work has been set.
If kids whose schools are insisting it is compulsory, then they will just have to redo the work.

Schools that listened to the government advice, have been planning for when the doors re-open. Just like a lot of schools saw this coming weeks before it was announced their closure and started planning.

The work packs were never about them learning new things simply because there are too many variables. It was about keeping them engaged with something, knowing for many they would be glued to the ps4 or whatever all the time. Then, of course, the welfare of the child and all household members.

Instead of focusing on education, schools that have realistic expectations are working closer than ever, with educational psychologists etc. It's not going to be an easy transition back into school. This is something that has nothing to do with household income.

Tbh, if I had to go through the process of choosing schools, how they acted during nCoV-2019 would be a starting point. I wouldn't want to go somewhere that the management doesn't follow official advice, too rigid within their thinking, and the emotional welfare of their students or staff is way down the list of priorities. Never mind those that insist on the full day timetable, never mind those who are insisting still on full school uniform.

The government don't expect us to be teachers. And as for secondary schools, tells you a lot when there are no links, unlike the younger children.

I don’t agree with it either. All children are in the same position currently with work being set at home. If there’s money to be found out it into schools for after they go back rather than allocate like this. All children matter.

funinthesun19, I really don't know enough, clearly, but that is a stunningly stark post that explains the complete disparity that some children have to deal with. The disadvantage seems huge.

It’s so true sadly.
My children are in the disadvantaged category, and all I can do is support them the best I can. School are amazing and I hope my children have a great future. Depressing to know that statistically they may underachieve though. I have 2 with SN so that plays a huge part from the get go before you’ve even brought income in to it.

Any extra support they may be offered I will grab with both hands! Not for myself but for them.

FSM has never made sense. Years ago, if you claimed for something you couldn't get fsm, claim something else instead and you qualify, working or not.

So many loop holes in the benefits system.

Anyone who can't knock up a decent and nutritious bowl of soup for around 50p per portion is a useless creature indeed. Instead of whining about needing more handouts, parents would be better served learning how to cook. And a tin of own-brand baked beans or a couple of eggs on toast certainly doesn't cost 3 quid per child per day.

I don't think anyone is at a significant disadvantage, more than they would be otherwise

Well, they are. Because school is a great leveller. We have an entrenched discrepancy between the achievement levels of the richest and poorest. School helps to smooth this, evidenced by how children from the poorer backgrounds lose from over long holidays compared with those from more affluent backgrounds.

Being at home is a disadvantage for some therefore the lockdown is having an even greater effect on the usual disparity.

Hence the extra support for children who are entitled to free meals.

grindergirl, what an obnoxious post. I can't imagine how unaware and unpleasant you'd have to be to post that.

Food prices have went up. Families eligible for FSM have a very low income and will be struggling even more with this rise.
OP your post shows you have zero understanding of this.

But you are seeing it in black and white terms, there is always a grey area and always a cut off point that will ultimately piss some people off.

But the £700 is to provide 1 on 1 tutoring, it won't be given directly to the targeted recipient, and whilst yes, you have genuine struggles with home schooling and worried about your job etc, as a data point children on FSM 'broadly' need extra help in education.

It's a suggestion to try and help some children using existing data points, it might snowball into other areas but I don't think its something to essentially cry 'it's not fair' over.

grinder don’t be so bloody judgemental.

Imagine you’re living with enough margin for 25% of your income to pay for food and supplies. Then suddenly, your boss tells you he’s dropping your income by 20% because he can’t afford to pay it but needs you to continue to work so can’t furlough you.

Where are you going to find that additional 20% income from to feed everyone who is also now suddenly at home full time and not receiving their usual meals?

Do enlighten me? Or am I just a useless creature because I don’t have a flipping money tree in my garden ready for some nutritious soup?

What does FSM mean. Totally being thick but it’s been a long day 😂

Say you're a household of two adults and 1 child. How much in benefits would you get a week? As I understand it, it's 72 for one adult. Probably goes down for second adult and then you've a child.

If 25% of your income goes on food, you must be eating a lot of steak or something?

funinthesun19 It must be tremendous difficult for you, knowing that your children - however far they achieve in life - have to do it from a position of disadvantage. It is terribly unfair.

I was watching a series on BBC catch-up about Universal Credit because whilst I understood the basics of what that is, I didn't know the nuts and bolts. I've seen posters here lamenting it and it sounds like a hugely crap system. I was actually horrified at the guy in charge of the 'system' prancing off to meet the minister (Amber Rudd), defending the position by saying that it was 'past the point of no return to go back to the previous system'. That was mind-blowing to me. Imagine being the purveyor of a system that you have no confidence in yourself, that you'd acknowledge wasn't going to work but it was all too late? The time for that realisation was at the planning stage for UC, not once it's been rubber-stamped.

There's no system that should be deserving enough not to be ripped out and re-done if it's not going to fulfil its objective, however much it cost in time and effort to implement.

Now this is where the MN chicken comes in OP! Just bung it in the oven and there's y'all fed for 5 days. You're welcome.

hunnybears Free School Meals

Go claim benefits then, problem solved? Don’t you think there is enough doom and gloom in the world without needlessly adding to it with the whole “it’s not faaaaaaair!” two year old tantrum?

UC recipients have had £1000 extra for the coming year and fsm vouchers. I agree these families are in a lot better situation than a lot of people with a regular income coming in. The families that are no better off are those hit by the benefit cap who won't see any benefit from the rise.

Poverty is the point at which you stop caring about free range eggs or chickens. Unless you want your organic children to die. If you want a free range, corn fed chicken that weighs 1.2 kilos, expect to pay about 7.99. My chicken that's hopefully on its way to me this evening is not free range (I hate myself), nor is it corn fed. It's a battery chicken. That's something you gotta cope with when you're poor. It cost me £3 in the 3 for £9 meat and poultry deal at Morrisons. That wee chicken, god rest his soul, will provide me with 4 substantial dinners and enough meat for tasty chicken sandwiches tomorrow. That's £3 worth of a damned chicken.

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe

Thankful. I know I’d feel stupid once I was told 😳