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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder how this person qualified for free school meals

116 replies

Sectionsofintercost · 05/01/2021 01:38

Someone at work bought a house which is being extended before they move in, the pandemic has put the brakes on the moving in but she shares photos of what's being done to the house.

It was purchased over a year ago in order for them to get their child into the secondary school catchment.

I'm not sure where exactly they live now, if they're renting or own that house as well.

A few months ago she let slip that her daughter in yr7 is on free school meals. It's likely that her husband lost income due to the pandemic, he's self employed. I can see that would have impacted on their finances
I get full housing benefit but don't qualify for free school meals.

I am happy to pay for my DCs food at school as there are others much worse off than me but I would love to be able to afford the long term security of owning my own home. I think something dodgy must be going on.

OP posts:
tricky29 · 05/01/2021 02:49

We just don’t know how other people live and under what circumstances. As an example, I know a family who have recently taken on 4 kids from their extended family and it’s quite traumatic and daunting for them, their own kids and the kids they’ve taken parental responsibility for.

My own business has been decimated over the last 10 months, it will come back but it doesn’t mean that this period isn’t hard.

It’s really none of your business. It’s not always transparent why a family ‘qualifies.’

SaltedCaramelIcedLatte · 05/01/2021 02:52

Mind your own business...threads like this really annoy me.

Worry about your own life!

angelhorror · 05/01/2021 02:53

Have you always been a sticky beak?

Rubyroses3 · 05/01/2021 02:54

If you want to know so much, why didn't you ask her when she mentioned it? Just let it go.

BungleandGeorge · 05/01/2021 03:01

@Sectionsofintercost

You get fsm for six years after last being eligible to claim. A lot can change in six years

Did you mean 6 months?

No you get them for years afterwards, which is quite ridiculous really. I’m not sure how they are getting them if they’re working and claiming tax credits as you can’t claim if you get working tax credit and the one time I was on low salary I qualified for a fiver a month WTC so no free meals!
WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo · 05/01/2021 03:02

@Sectionsofintercost

They would be getting UC to be entitled they are more generous with FSM entitlement than the old system

They are on tax credits, I know this because there was the chance to work additional hours at work, on UC you don't benefit financially for working overtime as the benefits adjust accordingly each month. She wasn't affected by this as they get tax credits. I said she should notify someone if they FSM as her income had changed. She said she would speak to their accountant.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. My tax credits and housing benefit changed when I did overtime. I ended up worse off for 3 months while they sorted it out. Although my UC went down when I did overtime it was only for that month, and I was still better off overall.
WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo · 05/01/2021 03:03

@Silverdeer

You get fsm for six years after last being eligible to claim. A lot can change in six years.
No you don't. The school are eligible for the pupil premium element for 6 years. Not FSM.
Sinful8 · 05/01/2021 03:03

@LastRoloIsMine

Why do you care?
Because its not enough the state is paying her rent, she wants more free stuff!
Sobeyondthehills · 05/01/2021 03:16

Because its not enough the state is paying her rent, she wants more free stuff

What thread are you reading? She won't be getting rent paid because she already owns a property

MawnyStannit · 05/01/2021 03:27

This reply has been deleted

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TheLevyEyebrowsFancIub · 05/01/2021 03:33

I must admit OP I was surprised that the cut-off for FSM is £616.67 per month, as the school was encouraging many of us to apply (it helps their premium plus budget iirc) - I am part-time but I still earn over that by a small amount - yes, I am fortunate to be working - so as such am not entitled to extra help. It is what it is - I could do sandwiches, it would be cheaper, but sometimes it is the main warm meal that my kids get. I did read that those claiming free school meals before the UC rollout will continue to receive free school meals until March next year, whether they are no longer eligible or not. No idea how or why.

theblackparade · 05/01/2021 03:44

It has literally fuck all to do with you, OP. HTH.

TheLevyEyebrowsFancIub · 05/01/2021 03:45

It was stated by my council that children would keep their free school meal until the end of their current phase of education, i.e. primary or secondary once UC was rolled out (afaik it still isn't fully rolled out?) so perhaps theirs is an older claim? No idea. School meals for two kids costs me 92.80 a month so not cheap, no.

StopSquirtingBleachOnCaneToads · 05/01/2021 03:51

You don't know anything about their financial situation other than little snippets of information from talking to her. Nobody really knows what is going on with someone else's finances.

If you have a genuine concern that someone is commuting fraud then, by all means, report it to the relevant authorities if you feel you need to. It is illegal, after all. But don't sit here festering over why someone you know who you think might have more money than you is receiving help that you aren't. That is not a happy life for you.

TheShepherdsCrown · 05/01/2021 03:52

@Sobeyondthehills

Because its not enough the state is paying her rent, she wants more free stuff

What thread are you reading? She won't be getting rent paid because she already owns a property

@Sobeyondthehills I think you may have got the OP and her neighbour mixed up. The OP does get housing benefit, she says in her opening post I get full housing benefit but don't qualify for free school meals
scotsllb · 05/01/2021 03:52

It's weird how people here are telling the op to mind her business but were up in arms in a recent thread about someone's friend taking the hump with them as their husband got an extra job while furloughed.
Telling the OP no wonder her friends fallen out with her as it's immoral etc yet here folk are self employed choosing the take a tiny wage etc can get round loopholes in the system and that's ok. Hmm

HeadIsFucked · 05/01/2021 04:06

You seem to acknowledge in the OP that you can see that their circumstances have changed, possibly drastically from the sounds of it. Yet remain confused that they might be entitled to support during this time?

I also do not see how its possible to have an income low enough to be able to claim full housing benefit, but also falling under the earnings threshold. That might be worth checking back up on, as it sounds wrong.

HeadIsFucked · 05/01/2021 04:16

@TheLevyEyebrowsFancIub

It was stated by my council that children would keep their free school meal until the end of their current phase of education, i.e. primary or secondary once UC was rolled out (afaik it still isn't fully rolled out?) so perhaps theirs is an older claim? No idea. School meals for two kids costs me 92.80 a month so not cheap, no.
Yes this is correct. Odd rule though I have to say. But many areas in benefit related stuff are odd when you look into them a bit!

Any child of a Universal Credit claimant, who was getting free school meals as at 1 April 2018 under the old criteria (no income threshold), or makes a successful new claim after 1 April 2018 under the new criteria (with the income threshold) will keep their free school meals until March 2022, even if the household’s income rises above the income threshold - as long as they remain on Universal Credit.
www.entitledto.co.uk/help/free-school-meals

Income threshold also does not include benefits, which catches a lot of people out too (weekly 200 wage. 60 tax credit. 30 child benefit. If not made totally clear, some would read this as their income is 290. When for FSM purposes its 200). Or has with people I know anyway..

Boopeedoop · 05/01/2021 04:37

As long as a child gets a meal at school i don't care how it's funded.

jessstan1 · 05/01/2021 05:33

This is a horrible thread. I can't believe the op started it, showing how resentful she is. The husband is no longer earning, does she want the child to go without?

I've said before and I'll say again, never discuss personal finances with anyone, there are so many nosy, jealous people about.

MrsMomoa · 05/01/2021 06:07

Yabu, their personal finances are none of your business.

Blueeyesparkle · 05/01/2021 06:13

It’s annoying but if they are fiddling taxes, it will catch up with them hopefully. Some people have no shame in what they do

GarlicSoup · 05/01/2021 06:54

Have a Biscuit to go with your sour grapes OP.

MaelyssQ · 05/01/2021 06:57

I hate threads like this. Unless you know the full circumstances, and unless you absolutely know for a fact this family are fraudulently claiming something they are not entitled to - then stop speculating and concentrate on your own family.

nebbish11 · 05/01/2021 06:57

The most important thing is that those entitled to them still get the equivalent over the next six weeks.

Notable that the autocue read by the Prime Minister last night mentioned this.

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