What's happened to Free School Meals provision?

[Carpathian2]

I've just had this from my child's school

Haven't staff got enough to worry about at the moment trying to keep the schools open without having to think about free school meals ??

You're just ignoring what I've tried to explain to you about the "feeding the WHOLE family" point. Why don't you just count yourself lucky that you don't need to rely on this support rather then looking down your nose if people aren't insanely grateful for an offcut of carrot, like I posted on the previous page?

@Krabapple

A quick look on social media shows that some of the private firms this has been contacted out too are sending out about £7 worth of what looks like poor quality food and being £30. Yet again examples of Tory corruption but people should be humble for every morsel!

It's not Tory corruption. 🤦‍♀️ The food is being provided by the catering companies who usually do the school meals. The schools have already paid the catering companies for this term, so they are being asked to provide food for the FSM children. They aren't being paid any extra, they're just having to provide food as they've already been paid.

There comes a point where it’s unreasonable people suggesting they don’t want to spend their fuel or bus fares. I’m sorry don’t you normally do the school run?

Ummm... nope. My 16 year old would be fucking mortified if I took him to school! And before you suggest he picks up the food parcel, he's expected to be online in live lessons all day. His 30min lunch break isn't long enough to get to school and back.

Or leave the house and take transport at all?! To do your usual food shop
Again nope. I shop online. I don't drive and its the easiest way to get my shopping. I'm sure I'm not the only person who doesn't physically shop!
And even if I did get the bus to the supermarket, spending £4 bus fare to get a week/2 weeks shopping vs £4 bus fare to get £6 worth of food isn't really the same.

Pasta and potatoes should be replaced with sandwiches in that case. Those are dinner items if money, fuel and food are so scarce. A load of bread, some cheese, 5 pieces of fruit and 5 yoghurts is surely enough. Plenty of adults I know have that for their lunch every day.

@PodgeBod I’m looking at the situation as a whole. I can see it from both sides have you not read my comments!

I just don’t agree with your entitled view. You can put many different foods in an oven it doesn’t have to be just 1 potato.

I’m not looking down my nose at anybody.
I received a food parcel in December and to be blunt I wouldn’t have the utter cheek to start moaning about it. It’s you who needs to be grateful.

I have never received a food parcel with a sliced open pepper? Especially in Covid times.

@Chel098 well more then one person on twitter say they have recieved sliced peppers and other vegetables. I have read your comments, you can think I'm entitled if you want. I think your attitude that parents should be grateful for anything just because it's free is terrible. Please don't tell me what I need to be- you don't know me at all. I'm leaving the conversation there because it's late. We shall have to agree to disagree.

I don't see the problem?

The government are giving schools extra cash to provide meals, but you're complaining because you wanted the cold hard cash (or vouchers)? Because, let's be honest, you know beans on toast or a cheese sandwich isn't as much as the voucher you'd get from the government.

It's poncy in my book.

The government withdrew extra funding for this lock down, the schools are not getting any extra so are paying the normal suppliers as they would if the children were in school.

The issue is that the schools are paying 30 per food parcel and families are getting the equivalent of 5 pounds ish of food. Which means that the catering companies- one of which is Compass a top 100 Tory donor are pocketing the rest,

@ClaireP20

Not sure how that's poncy

@PistolKnight

You are correct! This is what cheeses me off and why I don’t like the idea of the parcels. The box doesn’t actually contain the value of the daily entitlement and I’m basing this on Tesco prices and not the cheaper bulk prices the supplier would get it.

All that food for 1 child for 5 days for lunch.

Thats plenty enough food

You say, its not enough because the food will be shared between other members of the family...
Thats not how it works!

"Schools will provide food parcels or vouchers to families entitled to free school meals, funded by the government.
Schools can claim for additional funding of £3.50 per week for each eligible pupil receiving food parcel provision at home."

Provide vouchers if you can not provide parcels

If you are not happy with the value of the parcels speak to school. Someone should be checking the provision
Our boxes contain, a whole loaf, butter, tins of tuna and ham, 2 cartons of milk, cheese, jam, tins of beans, cookies, carton of fruit juice and yoghurts.

Seems a reasonable amount of food for lunches for one child.

@PodgeBod

Chel098 so the FSM kids at home should get less support because the kids are school need feeding? They both need support, thats the governments failing

I think kids not have food is primarily a parent failing.

twitter.com/bootstrapcook/status/1348692385782444033?s=21

Entire thread worth a look.

If the school is having to pay the school meals supplier in full, does that mean the company can not claim furlough for its workers? Is the government is only giving schools £3.50 a week to replace the lunches, if the original money is going to the supplier?

The reason I posted is to make the point that not everyone's circumstances are the same, not to have a lecture 'can't be arsed to collect it'. Horrible.

You didn’t state you were disabled and unable to take the bus in your original post (you just complained about the high bus fare). How was the poster who made that comment supposed to know about your disability that prevents you collecting the box?

In your situation I think it is worth contacting the school to see if a delivery or voucher could be arranged instead, as you have a legitimate reason. Sure they can’t do it for everyone, but a parent being disabled mobility-wise and having nobody to collect the food on their behalf won’t apply to many families so they may be able to make an exception.

So vouchers are not good for some. Parcels not satisfactory for other. Can’t pick it up etc etc.

What are school supposed to do then?

People are saying that the allowance doesn’t equate to the amount of food in a box but surely that allowance also has to pay for the organisation and distribution too? If not who pays for that persons time and fuel? Schools are not receiving funding for this. People are saying that they don’t want/can’t spend the fuel or bus money to pick it up but seemingly are quite happy for school staff to do that from their own pocket 🤦‍♀️

@ElizabethP141

So vouchers are not good for some. Parcels not satisfactory for other. Can’t pick it up etc etc.

What are school supposed to do then?

People are saying that the allowance doesn’t equate to the amount of food in a box but surely that allowance also has to pay for the organisation and distribution too? If not who pays for that persons time and fuel? Schools are not receiving funding for this. People are saying that they don’t want/can’t spend the fuel or bus money to pick it up but seemingly are quite happy for school staff to do that from their own pocket 🤦‍♀️

Exactly

Oh FFS who is agreeing with these monsters?!
Unless you’re actually part of the above named companies getting rich from this I cannot believe you’re defending this bullshit!

Parcels not suitable, clearly not good food/the right food to last etc

Vouchers would be much better but understand not suitable for everyone.

If this wasn’t being run by this shit show of a government/ cronyism for their mates etc etc and PROFIT being the bottom line of starving children this wouldn’t be happening, don’t know why we bother though, nothing will change the minds of these people who’ve stapled their hearts to a government that would happily see them perish along with the mouldy old food being provided

Apart from two days of a baked potato with baked beans I don’t see much in the way of meals, more an assortment of snacks.

Vouchers seem a much better idea but I guess the catering contracts have to be fulfilled

It's threads like this that give people on benefits a bad name. That's enough for five lunches, which is exactly what it's meant to replace. It's similar to what my DD and her friends have taken to school for the last 9 years,and what I had as a child. Fruit, rolls, fillings.

Unless your child is neurodiverse, or has specific allergies and food needs (in which case I'd like to think a good school would tweak appropriately) that's a standard packed lunch for most kids. If you're turning your nose up at it, then quite frankly you're not on your uppers.

I have been on benefits and my child has been in receipt of free school meals. I'd have been more than happy to receive that, but then I was always happy that I lived in a country where there was provision for those who were out of work or financially struggling, and I didn't expect the world to owe me a living

@ReallySpicyCurry

It's threads like this that give people on benefits a bad name. That's enough for five lunches, which is exactly what it's meant to replace. It's similar to what my DD and her friends have taken to school for the last 9 years,and what I had as a child. Fruit, rolls, fillings.

Unless your child is neurodiverse, or has specific allergies and food needs (in which case I'd like to think a good school would tweak appropriately) that's a standard packed lunch for most kids. If you're turning your nose up at it, then quite frankly you're not on your uppers.

I have been on benefits and my child has been in receipt of free school meals. I'd have been more than happy to receive that, but then I was always happy that I lived in a country where there was provision for those who were out of work or financially struggling, and I didn't expect the world to owe me a living

Why is the thread giving people on benefits are bad name? Most of the people saying it is not ideal and not on benefits or receiving the food themselves. It's not great for the children have to go to school to collect it and if parents go they may need to pay bus fares. The food itself is possible although not very substantial if it's the main meal of the day which actually was the whole point of free school meals.

possible passable