What's happened to Free School Meals provision?

[Carpathian2]

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

Vouchers are better particularly in winter you can buy a big cheap bag of pasta , frozen veg, tinned tomatoes cheaply and make make hot lunches and a bigger quantity of food

I agree it is plenty to provide a light lunch for your child for 5 days, however there are some children out there that only get a hot meal at school, so if they are now only provided with light lunch type foods in a hamper it could mean the kids go without a balanced hot meal for weeks!
That said the schools are doing their best and you said yourself don't even need it so apart from being miffed you aren't getting a freebee voucher I can't see why you're complaining?

Also i find it ridiculous that healthy start vouchers Can’t be used online but that’s a separate issue

I think it’s just meant to be 5 lunches for one child. So not too bad really. I’d love to know what a “school roll” is though, compared to another kind of roll.

I’m in receipt of FSM for my daughter. I was really pleased to get the voucher and managed to only spend £20 extra on food in addition to the voucher over Christmas which meant I could also buy her a Christmas present. I think I would be too ashamed to collect a food parcel but I guess when we run out of food I will have to. Just feels like another way I have to be humiliated, as if losing my job, my partner walking out and being on the verge of losing my home, I have to go beg for my kids food too. Brilliant.

@Bunnybigears

The vouchers were abused, if a child needs food providing food rather than vouchers seems like a perfectly valid scheme.

How were they abused ?

@BowlerHatPowerHat

Goodness I hope our school don’t do this we need a voucher as none of those foods would really be suitable for my child at primary (coeliac and egg and dairy allergic) we used out other vouchers to buy food she can actually eat ! In that case, surely you'd just use the parcel for other members of the family. And with the money saved on the shopping bill you'd buy your child food they can eat.

All my children are egg and dairy allergic and I’m egg and dairy free for bf so no it wouldn’t be ok luckily our school is doing vouchers again I’ve just checked !

Whilst I do also agree it would be better if they had a hot meal as they would in school, I don’t think it’s right to complain that it’s food and not a voucher. This food is at least healthy and it does cut out the middle man of going and getting the food, which is helpful for many.

Surely the only ones complaining would be those who want to buy something other than food? Which isn’t on, and I’ve been known to deny exist in more than very small numbers.

@FlamingoAtTheBingo

Anyone else remember the days when it was a parent's responsibility to feed the children they'd chosen to have? Now it appears to fall under the remit of any other service provider sadly.

What exactly ARE parents responsible for these days? It's certainly not providing a meal for their own kids it seems

And I'm fully supportive of all children being fed and FSM for anyone who needs them. I'm just not in support of this weird parental buck passing of what should be a given - just feed your own kids?

Well yes and in any other year the DC who you "fully support" having FSM would be getting them. But at the moment schools are closed so they are passing the FSM provision to homes.

They'll never find a 1 size fits all. Even though the vouchers weren't for a shop I could easily get to, I prefer vouchers over the food parcel. However, with 2 always hungry teens to feed I'll take whatever is decided to be the best way of distributing meals. The money I save is much needed.

I have never understood the obsession with hot food. Hot food is no more nutritional than cold food. The warming qualities of eating hot food wear off very wuickly it is the calories in the food that the body uses to keep you warm. Also hot food requires gas or electricity and access to a microwave or an oven. There is not always access to these things.

@AndcalloffChristmas

I think it’s just meant to be 5 lunches for one child. So not too bad really. I’d love to know what a “school roll” is though, compared to another kind of roll.

Its a roll that also teaches timetables and correct use of apostrophes

How were they abused ? by people buying things that weren't food for their children and by people selling them to other people.

@MonktonMonkey

When my son is at school he has a hot meal every lunchtime - roasts, curries, bolognese, sausages, etc. This food parcel is nothing like that.

When your Son is at school when!

@Woodenhearted

Vouchers are better particularly in winter you can buy a big cheap bag of pasta , frozen veg, tinned tomatoes cheaply and make make hot lunches and a bigger quantity of food

Vouchers are not better if they're spent of cider, which apparently happened a hell of a lot last time.

I would be very happy to go and get a box full of FREE food.
I know some people would rather get a Nando’s, pizzas, lasagnas and hamburgers with double fries delivered to their doorstep by a courier every day, even better money paid straight into their accounts, but hey- maybe let’s not expect too much for nothing, eh?!

@user1471462428

I’m in receipt of FSM for my daughter. I was really pleased to get the voucher and managed to only spend £20 extra on food in addition to the voucher over Christmas which meant I could also buy her a Christmas present. I think I would be too ashamed to collect a food parcel but I guess when we run out of food I will have to. Just feels like another way I have to be humiliated, as if losing my job, my partner walking out and being on the verge of losing my home, I have to go beg for my kids food too. Brilliant.

You've articulated my argument much better than I did, Thankyou

Remember to be grateful though ........

"Let them eat cake"

Don't you know OP as benefits scum you have to be grateful for the crumbs from masters plate.

We're getting the £15 vouchers, thank fuck, as I'm feeding 3 adults and a child on ESA and Tax credits that only cover the 2 adults and child. That £15 can stretch to a hell of a lot more than what they're offering in the bags. In fact it's 1/4 of my food bill each week.

It is a rather idealistic world in which many families can afford the electricity or gas for a baked potato (I know you can microwave but even then)

I'm sorry to jump on this thread, but we've not received any communication from the school regarding this.

When is this being rolled out? Should we have heard by now?

I'm more curious than anything.

@KilljoysDutch

"Let them eat cake"

Don't you know OP as benefits scum you have to be grateful for the crumbs from masters plate.

We're getting the £15 vouchers, thank fuck, as I'm feeding 3 adults and a child on ESA and Tax credits that only cover the 2 adults and child. That £15 can stretch to a hell of a lot more than what they're offering in the bags. In fact it's 1/4 of my food bill each week.

Thankyou, that's exactly my opinion.

@user1471462428

I’m in receipt of FSM for my daughter. I was really pleased to get the voucher and managed to only spend £20 extra on food in addition to the voucher over Christmas which meant I could also buy her a Christmas present. I think I would be too ashamed to collect a food parcel but I guess when we run out of food I will have to. Just feels like another way I have to be humiliated, as if losing my job, my partner walking out and being on the verge of losing my home, I have to go beg for my kids food too. Brilliant.

Your not begging for food! Hold your head high they will be plenty of others similar to yourself. I hope you find another job soon.

No, I don't find FSM patronising! What I find patronising is people telling me I should be great ful for this

I believe you should be grateful for the free food parcel, the same way you are grateful for FSM (otherwise why would you be using FSM?) Many families will be very grateful for the parcel.

Queuing to receive a parcel, ok it’s not as discreet as vouchers (which sadly were abused in some cases, and in other cases parents couldn’t get to the right shop to use them) but if it’s the difference between being able to feed your child or not feed them, surely you would queue? It’s free healthy food at the end of the day.

We delivered our first boxes today. I would check with your school.

Sorry but I think you should be grateful. Not because it is you. But because as a country we should be grateful there is a welfare system. If you don’t want to take the food, fine. But I think it’s a terrible waste not to. Even if you want to give your ds other food, you or other family members can eat this food.

Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face!

TheFormerPorpentiaScamander - a multi tasking roll!

Seriously though, we had baked potatoes with cheese for lunch today and I thought that was a good lunch! With cut up veggies (I did carrots because Ds is fussy and also I love carrots). This has reminded me that eggs would be good for lunches too, and also to get Ds involved in cutting up veg etc to get him eating it. So quite grateful for the thread.

I guess I’d prefer there were 5 full fat yoghurts in there as kids need the fat, but that’s my main addition I’d make.