Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

No more free school meal vouchers?

504 replies

dottydotterson · 16/06/2020 10:32

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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
FromMarch2020 · 16/06/2020 12:46

100%

"TheFairyCaravan Tue 16-Jun-20 12:42:33
WrongKindOfFace
What kind of person begrudges a hungry child being fed?
Cunts. That's who. And there's a lot of them on here."

Appalled by the attitude of some on here towards children and people living in poverty. I just wish some of you could walk and live in their shoes for a week.

hoodathunkit · 16/06/2020 12:47

My lovely next door neighbour fed me and my siblings by making us meals every day when my parents left us all alone to go on holiday for a week (may have been 2 weeks, my memory is not perfect)

She also reported my parents to Social Services for child neglect

As a reward for her kindness my parents accused (falsely I think) her husband of being a paedohile and sexual predator.

I mention this because hungry children lead to children being offered food by people outside their families.

Most of those people offereing food will be kind and good citizens but may place themselves at risk of false accusations of being paedophiles. I used to know a lovely, kind park keeper who often paid for food for hungry, malnourished, local children. The kids loved him and he fed them for years until a new colleage raised the alarm that he was not being professional and could have ulterior motives.

This lovely man was suspended from work while an investigation was carried out into whether he was a paedo based on his giving food to hungry kids.

He returned to work traumatised by the experience and was prohibited from giving the children food.

Then there are the other adults who will offer food to hungry kids, predators who sniff out a vulnerablity and exploit it. We all know about these kinds of people.

Keeping children safe and well fed has to be our primary concern as a society, surely?

imamum21 · 16/06/2020 12:51

For the PP who said they have no monetary value. This is a screenshot from South lanarkshire council to show we get I-MOVO voucher for paypoint And they will continue through summer holidays. £15 a week and we get it fortnightly. Once we cash it we can spend the money anywhere

No more free school meal vouchers?
FromMarch2020 · 16/06/2020 12:52

"Pleasenodont Tue 16-Jun-20 11:19:42
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."

OH dear..... it happens every year so let's not bother then .... let them go hungry every year then! Seriously what a shit attitude to have. Diddums she says it's sad... oh well happens each year so hey hum continue as before.....

DuncinToffee · 16/06/2020 13:02

Scotland is also extending the scheme

Scotland's free school meals scheme will be extended throughout the summer holiday period, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirms

"We will provide £12.6m in funding to local authorities to enable the continuation of free school meals"

BBC news

SoupDragon · 16/06/2020 13:02

Seriously what a shit attitude to have.

It's a pretty shit attitude to be only bothered about it now.

AlexTheLittleCat · 16/06/2020 13:03

I'm so glad Marcus Rashford raised this issue, good for him.

I think they should continue giving out the vouchers in the holidays. It was always an issue and is going to get worse in the middle of a pandemic. Food prices have gone up and the usual lunch clubs can't run because of the pandemic.

We should protect the vulnerable, what kind of society doesn't do that?

MatildaTheCat · 16/06/2020 13:04

BJ has done a U turn.

jasjas1973 · 16/06/2020 13:04

Britain has a new Prime Minister! Mr Rashford took over from Johnson and announced the meals voucher scheme WILL continue !!!!

ChilliCheese123 · 16/06/2020 13:04

Lots of free play schemes are cancelled. A lot of kids will attend these and get breakfast and lunch every day.

GazeboParty · 16/06/2020 13:05

I disagree and have written to my Tory MP to request that he does not support his Government on this issue.

FromMarch2020 · 16/06/2020 13:05

To this poster -

"SoupDragon Tue 16-Jun-20 13:02:35
Seriously what a shit attitude to have.
It's a pretty shit attitude to be only bothered about it now."

I work with vulnerable children, I've ALWAYS been bothered about it. Why assume I am only bothered about it now. How stupid.

DuncinToffee · 16/06/2020 13:06

Great news

NEW: Govt u-turn on #FreeSchoolMeals following @MarcusRashford campaign & growing disquiet from Tory MPs

£120m funding secured from Treasury

Covid Summer Food Fund. £15/wk in vouchers over 6 week period for all those currently eligible for free school meals

SoupDragon · 16/06/2020 13:07

Why assume I am only bothered about it now. How stupid.

Why assume I was taking about you? How stupid.

Rockbird · 16/06/2020 13:07

I think it's very easy to sit at a distance and decide that children don't need support over the holidays. It gives you a different perspective when you can name the children at your school that would be likely to miss meals when school is on holiday. When you can picture their faces.

That's not even counting the people on here who rely on it themselves.

BlooperReel · 16/06/2020 13:10

I had an childhood very muh like Marcus rashford has described, I was one of 5 children, divorced parents, father refused to pay the child maintenance he was supposed to and my mum was on benefits, looking back, she was ina deep depression. If it werent for soem relatives living very closeby, we would have gone hungry far more often than we did, often lived off beans or spaghetti hoops on toasts for multiple days, had to cut mould off bread and toast it as there was often no money for a fresh loaf.

The attitudes of some of the callous bastards on this thread makes me sick, i ahve been that child, I have gone to bed hungry, with no undertsanding of why, and no abilityto change things, none of it was my fault, but I suffered. The FSM scheme being extended over school holidays would have been such a huge relief.

We can piss money up the wall on enquiries where the outcomes and recommendations are never acted upon, pay off the DUP, bail out business, but we begrudge feeding hungry children.

TheFairyCaravan · 16/06/2020 13:10

Boris has been shamed into another U turn so at least the children will be getting fed this Summer.

Pieceofpurplesky · 16/06/2020 13:11

U Turn by the government. They make themselves look so stupid.

skodadoda · 16/06/2020 13:11

Just heard government has said food vouchers will be given over summer holidays.

GazeboParty · 16/06/2020 13:13

They can blame feckless parents all they like (I am not going there) - but the kids should not be punished - the kids should still be fed.

FatalSecrets · 16/06/2020 13:19

Delighted to see the government have come to the correct decision. Although as per it has to be yet another protracted and ridiculous u-turn.

Marcus Rashford is a smashing bloke. Good on him for doing such a positive thing.

cyclingmad · 16/06/2020 13:20

@NCforsafety you sys the DP doesn't live with you...okay ..but is he not stepping up and paying maintenance?

Surely there need to be stronger tougher laws to make sure in these cases that money from OH is being paid for the children welfare.

I think vouchers only if all avenues have been exhausted and therefore this is last resort would be better.

3ismylot · 16/06/2020 13:21

I am so pleased that the government have been shamed into a U-turn and I am very proud that we have people like Marcus Rashford who use their platform in society to fight inequalities like this.

Some of the attitudes on this thread are disgusting and show a complete and utter lack of empathy and understanding that not everyone lives the same kind of life Angry they also seem to forget that the children are NEVER to blame in these circumstances and should NOT be punished.

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 16/06/2020 13:22

Bloody well done Marcus Rashford.

£15 a week does not allow for the quality of nutrition that a good school lunch provides. Our cook is amazing. Kids get fresh, well cooked food with healthy options. She plans based on what they will eat. Every Friday in normal circumstances we give stuff that can't be frozen/will be chucked out to students who we know need it - one lad goes home with spare sandwiches for himself and his siblings for the weekend. When we had to close the kitchen for lockdown, she went through the fridges and cupboards, and again, anything that would be chucked out went into parcels for students and families. Many of our kids are going into the summer having missed out on this for months - that's why the support is needed.

When the vouchers first came out, the budget supermarkets were not included. In my school catchment there was a choice of Sainsbury's and the Co-op unless you can drive - parents asked and asked if we could include Aldi. As one of them said, 'I can actually give them proper dinners if I have the vouchers for Aldi. I can't at Sainsbury's.' Luckily, after a fortnight, Aldi came on board.

I am so relieved for our kids and parents.

GazeboParty · 16/06/2020 13:24

Marcus Rashford - top bloke!

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.