A loaf and a block of cheese is not lunch for ten days

[ZazieSheHer]

So some of the free school lunch boxes contain very little food.

Marcus Rashford condemns free school meal packages

“...a package, supposedly containing £30 worth of food to last for 10 days, comprising just a loaf of bread, some cheese, a tin of beans, two carrots, two bananas, three apples, two potatoes, a bag of pasta, three Frubes, two Soreen bars and a tomato”.

mobile.twitter.com/RoadsideMum/status/1348646428084760576

Can’t imagine what it’s like home schooling hungry kids. Would like to say I’m shocked but I’m not.

Kissthepastrychef

I just wish jon snow had asked the Conservative mp defending it what she had for lunch today

Don't look at the Houses of Parliament website at the restaurant menus. They gave me the rage when I realised the outrageous way they are subsidised.”

So, they still are, then? The MP’s wife who posted earlier hasn’t answered yet .......

@SimonJT

Obviously a company will costs so the entire £30 will not go on food, I very much doubt it costs the company £25 per box.

It doesn’t even look like real cheese, it looks like those weird slices people put in burgers.

I wouldn't like that, however if 'proper' cheese was provided, it would be fine. It's only supposed to be for lunch, not for every meal.

It does seem expensive, even allowing for the cost of putting it together but think of it as £3 per day and it doesn't seem so bad. The person receiving it isn't paying for it, presumably it comes out of taxes. I don't mind some of my tax going towards that.

@Heartlantern2

Food is better than giving vouchers!!

Because you are a good parent you think every parent is. Some people genuinely don’t care if their children are starving.

For families like that it’s not about being poor- it’s just about being a bad parent. Vouchers for food would be sold to someone for £20 to then go get drugs.

Excellent logic...except...

Do you think that now they have food they will lovingly feed the child they couldn't be arsed feeding in the first place? Get real.

All that happens is children like PPs are stuck eating this shite instead of things they would actually eat.

So there's quite a range in these...

Can you give me one ground someone would have for BUYING a food voucher?
Oh my god don't make me laugh. Where do you live, cloud cuckoo land ?

The same reason people buy stolen meat, counterfeit cigarettes and trainers sold in a variety of sizes all "BNWT" from some random on Facebook. They know they are stolen and they don't give a shit

But if people sell their vouchers, they could sell their food parcel too? Unless the parcel is worthless because the company that provides them kept all the money for themselves...

@Kissthepastrychef

Can you give me one ground someone would have for BUYING a food voucher? Oh my god don't make me laugh. Where do you live, cloud cuckoo land ?

The same reason people buy stolen meat, counterfeit cigarettes and trainers sold in a variety of sizes all "BNWT" from some random on Facebook. They know they are stolen and they don't give a shit

But they would use those things.

Why would someone buy a 30 pouns food voucher rather than just uou know...spend money?

No I don't lice in cuckoo land. I live and work in the reality and see the impact of FSM first hand rather than judging.

People will buy a £30 food voucher for £10 or £15 - because they are also skint.

Because Miss Y sells the voucher at £20 to Mrs Z who doesn't use drugs but doesn't ask too many questions when there's the chance to get £10 of food for free.

@Ihatemyseleffordoingthis

People will buy a £30 food voucher for £10 or £15 - because they are also skint.

Right. Fine. Rarely I'd imagine but fine. What problem does switching to food do?

some of these comments lack humanity (just stating the obvious)

But I think it is worth the risk of this happening in a small fraction of cases in order to provide for the vast majority for whom this would make the difference to their children.

Why CB can't just be uplifted for those on the lowest incomes I do not know.

Solve sorry

@Ihatemyseleffordoingthis

But I think it is worth the risk of this happening in a small fraction of cases in order to provide for the vast majority for whom this would make the difference to their children.

Why CB can't just be uplifted for those on the lowest incomes I do not know.

Because they are stereotyped as seen above and not worthy of help as theyl abuse it.

Seriously how has these conversation ended up with people talking about parents trying to sell vouchers. You are avoiding the real issue. The company who made these boxes is owned by a tory donor and downing Street chum. A tory donor whose company made over a billion last year. And now they are making a profit from starving children and ultimately the tax payer. Absolute disgrace.

@Ihatemyseleffordoingthis
I totally agree. Just because I know the arguments that are used doesn't mean I agree with them. Although some people seem unable to grasp that because you know the arguments (having heard them endlessly from various colleagues/family members) doesn't mean that you share the views

@Wheresmykimchi It definitely happens, I'd agree probably not that often. Though loansharking makes it sadly more likely.

@Francescaisstressed - this has been discussed at length through the thread: an alarming number of people on it don't appear to give a monkeys.

@Francescaisstressed

Seriously how has these conversation ended up with people talking about parents trying to sell vouchers. You are avoiding the real issue. The company who made these boxes is owned by a tory donor and downing Street chum. A tory donor whose company made over a billion last year. And now they are making a profit from starving children and ultimately the tax payer. Absolute disgrace.

Quite. Let's defend the government and bash the desperate parents.

@Kissthepastrychef @Ihatemyseleffordoingthis

If it happens , it happens. Doesn't justify scrapping the system. The parents who did that will just find other ways to prioritise drugs etc and the real genuine people will starve.

@seepingweeping

My woman I know was given this for a week of lunches for her teenage son.

The school has now went back to vouchers.

This makes me so ragey! It would be poor enough if they’d given a whole tomato or a whole pepper. At least then they might last a little longer.

@Francescaisstressed the conversation has ended up where it is because we were discussing the reasons why politicians don't want to support giving food vouchers. Which is a significant factor in this thread. If politicians thought it would be a vote winner to give all the families on FSM a Tesco voucher then this thread wouldn't exist

Don't look at the Houses of Parliament website at the restaurant menus. They gave me the rage when I realised the outrageous way they are subsidised I asked my MP about this when he voted against vouchers for FSM kids. He said the HofP restaurants aren't subsidised as such and the prices are comparable to local restaurants. I asked him for the names of the restaurants as I'd quite like to eat in them next time I'm in London as I haven't found that type of menu and that type of price. He still hasn't replied.

It does seem expensive, even allowing for the cost of putting it together but think of it as £3 per day and it doesn't seem so bad. The person receiving it isn't paying for it, presumably it comes out of taxes. I don't mind some of my tax going towards that.

Just because they're not paying for it, doesn't mean others should profiteer!

I'm totally pissed off paying £30 for that crap, not because of the people that are receiving but because of the bastards making a shed load of money out of. It!

You sound like another "they should be grateful for what they get" vile attitude @LizFlowers

What makes you so happy lining the pockets of the already wealthy who're exploiting the situation?

And by doing what they're doing, Chartwells are again making less fortunate people "look like they're ungrateful" they're not, but nor are they stupid and they know the crap they've be given is taking the piss out of everyone.

@Kissthepastrychef

Because Miss Y sells the voucher at £20 to Mrs Z who doesn't use drugs but doesn't ask too many questions when there's the chance to get £10 of food for free.

Yes that would be really bad.

Where as rich business people creaming at least half the value of each and every parcel is free enterprise. Right.

@Wheresmykimchi

As I said previously, please quote where I have said that I don't think people should be given vouchers or that I think that the food supplied has been perfectly acceptable.

Oh no, you can't can you. Because at no point on the thread have I said that and if that is what you have taken from my posts maybe you need to reread them without jumping immediately to a certain conclusion.