No more free school meal vouchers?

[dottydotterson]

What do you think of the governments decision to end the free school meal vouchers for the summer? Do you agree or not?

@GreenTulips

Why does it have to be school centred though?

Why can’t other organisations step up?

The biggest issue is not all kids go hungry over the holidays only some. So for the government to take an all or nothing approach costs £120,000,000 for 6 weeks

That’s a lot of money when only a few are effected.

I suppose if nothings open money can’t be spent on play schemes or clubs etc

Schools are the only ones with access to the kids.

Where I live normally it's the playscheme I run that targets the kids that need it and we find funding for lunches.

We're not allowed to run this year. The only people who can step in for those kids are schools.

@PurpleButterflyAway

Just that time of year when I spend 8-12 weeks of surviving on less than one meal a day again so the kids don’t starve. I’m a student, don’t get UC/benefits other than tax and child benefit. Can’t get a job this summer thanks to the pandemic, but hey so long as no one is put out by people getting vouchers or benefit top ups when having the kids home 24/7 means your food bill doubles eh *@NCforsafety* !

I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I know you're not alone in this either.

I do have to ask why you can't get a job due to the pandemic though, is it a particular job you are looking for?

NCforsafety

No I don't agree they should be issued. I also don't see why UC payments were increased during the pandemic as unemployed people living on benefits weren't affected by drop in incomes?

My grocery bills went up. A lot of cheaper things I rely on were out of stock. Things didn't come in my online deliveries leaving me with the choice of the co-op or corner shop to top up what was missing. My electric bill has also gone up due to having 2 dc at home all day using laptops etc. And we are getting through more squash than usual due to all being at home.

WhatWouldYouDoWhatWouldJesusDo

Unless there's a real and understandable reason as in benefit sanctions and delays or a huge unexpected bill I think we need to start questioning why so many people claim they can't afford to feed their kids and why some arent able to prioritise that need. I fully expect to get pounded on for saying this but meh.

I get approx 1350 pcm (currently waiting to hear back on an esa, or whatever they call it now, claim as I'm too sick to work). My rent is 800. Council tax is 110. Then there's water/gas/electric. We need wifi for homework. 2 teen boys who eat and grow a lot. Trust me I wish I could work again and stop having to rob Peter to pay Paul.

As sad as it is, many children go hungry every summer. I’m not sure why there’s a sudden demand to give the parents food vouchers now, it happens every year.

@TheFormerPorpentiaScamander do you not get housing benefit or whatever it is called now? My friend had similar, her rent was wiping out most of her money, she spoke to CAB about something else and they helped her to sort it. She also is too poorly to work.

@Pleasenodont

As sad as it is, many children go hungry every summer. I’m not sure why there’s a sudden demand to give the parents food vouchers now, it happens every year.

There have been a lot of initiatives in areas over the last few years to try and deal with this.

This year the volunteer groups, churches, playschemes and the likes won't have access to the families.

It's not that it's not been needed before. It's just that normally other places scoop up the need. We can't, so the government need too

@Sandybval I'm on UC so that amount includes my HB.

Schools are the only ones with access to the kids

No they aren't. Health visitors (for some Year R), GPs, Child Start Centres, Social Workers, Councils.

Plenty of other people could be involved to help the most vulnerable children.

Ah okay, that sucks, hope you get your ESA if it'll make life easier and you hear back soon.

@StarFishFantasies

Schools are the only ones with access to the kids

No they aren't. Health visitors (for some Year R), GPs, Child Start Centres, Social Workers, Councils.

Plenty of other people could be involved to help the most vulnerable children.

With the patchy and/or changeable services being offered by all the people you mention schools are currently the only ones with access to all of the kids.

@Pleasenodont

As sad as it is, many children go hungry every summer. I’m not sure why there’s a sudden demand to give the parents food vouchers now, it happens every year.

And if this attention can highlight the issue that arises every school holiday and starts to tackle it fantastic.

They have shown now a scheme can be put in place to do the vouchers so let’s roll that out for holidays long term

I'm in Edinburgh and my youngest school gives out food vouchers to use at the local community cafe for the holidays who's parents are on a low income

Re: Benefits cap

The benefit cap is:

£442.31 a week if you are a couple or have children and live in London
£384.62 a week if you are a couple or have children and live outside London

That sounds fair, I mean there are amount on top of that for children too, nearly 2K a month,

we are still getting them in my area over summer holidays, im grateful and surprised to be honest. we get £15 a week paypoint voucher so we can use it anywhere as its cash.

im also in scotland so not sure if its all of scotland or just my area. i checked the next towns which are different authority and there is no mention of it continuing for them although they get £20 a week.

im on UC my payment this month is under £400 after rent. i pay £89 council tax have to be careful buying a food shop for 3 people due to one being diabetic and by time gas and electric has been paid there isnt much left.

@NCforsafety not everyone who gets Universal Credit is unemployed. I work and I get tax credits as I'm a single parent on a low income.

I think they should still get them. Many parents not working due to pandemic disruption. I know families where FSM are essential.

Free school meal vouchers will carry on through the summer holidays in Wales.

I think they should get them. The prices for food in the supermarkets have increased a fair bit and not many special offers on.

@Overtime2019

I'm in Edinburgh and my youngest school gives out food vouchers to use at the local community cafe for the holidays who's parents are on a low income

North Lanarkshire Council, where my cousin lives, have lunch clubs in the holidays for the children who get fsm through the year. The kids can either have a sit down lunch or takeaway a packed lunch.

The last few years here in the village I live in we've been given funding to include children entitled to fsm not attending the activities to our lunch sitting (holiday playscheme where the kids come either morning, afternoon or all day and can stay for lunch).

Everyone is feeling the pinch - they don’t normally get them , so why should they in the holidays

'last week the government announced an additional £63m for local authorities to benefit families who are struggling to afford food and other basic essentials.'

MPs will be debating the free school meals in Commons this afternoon.

Marcus Rashford is continuing to pressure for a government u-turn.

I think that it should be provided because it’s been shitty times for people however the vouchers etc need to be used correctly or or should be that supermarket gives you a packed lunch food box type package so the system isn’t abused think there were reports in the beginning of people using it to buy stuff that was wasn’t for kids.

I think eligible children should receive meal vouchers all year around including school holidays and weekends. It breaks my heart how many children live in poverty in the UK. I was a child entitled to free school meals however luckily we never reached the poverty level where my parents could not afford to feed us.

They are meal vouchers with no monetary value so can't be used for anything over than food. This will shut up the people who imply that families are only poor if the parents have poor spending habits such as spending all of their money on cigarettes and alcohol. Furthermore, even if their parents did do that why should the children be punished for their parents' spending habits?

@dickiedavisthunderthighs because there's no childcare open in my area. I'd take any job, whether it was stacking shelves or picking up litter, I'm honestly not fussy about what job I could take. But the childminders in this area aren't reopened to anyone that's not a key worker, and the ones that are open for key workers are full to capacity. I've spent hours searching for childcare, even looking over an hours travel outside my area but there's none at all. I've no family, I have a DP that I don't live with anymore due to a relationship breakdown, though we are trying to work things out, however he works himself and has never looked after the kids before so is extremely reluctant to give up his nights and weekends when only one child is his, the other two aren't so I understand he doesn't want the responsibility of looking after them. I can fully understand the whole "get a job if you're struggling for money" rhetoric, it's just not that easy where I live