Bloody (not) Free school meals

[Hazelnutlatteplease]

Not redeemable against online shopping!!! and only have a one month expiration. Absolutely useless.

We have almost completely avoided the supermarket in the last year on account of CEV DS. I have a few vouchers from previous lockdown which will make finances easier when we can get back to the supermarket, but these ones bah!

I got so excited when it arrived!! AIBU to try selling them on? Would anyone buy if I explained

[MechantGourmet]

FSM are not your ‘right’ but a charitable endeavour to ensure children don’t starve


No, no, no.

It's not "charitable" to ensure children don't go hungry- it's the absolute minimum we can do as a civilised society, to ensure children have food.

I want to live in a society that has higher aspirations for its populace.

[WorraLiberty]

@iamtheoneandonlyyy if you have no access to supermarkets or online shopping, how are you getting your food at the moment?

I second those who've suggested asking in your local FB group, as there are so many people offering to help with shopping/prescriptions etc.

[londongirl12]

@iamtheoneandonlyyy

I have leftover vouchers that I want to use
Single parent of 3
No access to supermarkets
No childcare whatsoever
Nobody to do it for me
Delivery slots permanently full
I could do an order for a few weeks away but the very little cash I have needs to be used for food now and can't be paid in advance.
I'm not ungrateful and I really could do with using them, I'm having days where I'm telling them mummy's not hungry at the moment
But yes, all of the posters on here saying I should be grateful are so wise and generous.

Why haven't you used them then? What do you normally do?

[Lorieandrews]

@iamtheoneandonlyyy

I have leftover vouchers that I want to use
Single parent of 3
No access to supermarkets
No childcare whatsoever
Nobody to do it for me
Delivery slots permanently full
I could do an order for a few weeks away but the very little cash I have needs to be used for food now and can't be paid in advance.
I'm not ungrateful and I really could do with using them, I'm having days where I'm telling them mummy's not hungry at the moment
But yes, all of the posters on here saying I should be grateful are so wise and generous.

Please please ring the Red Cross lovely

Please. They can help you. They’ve been delivering food and if you’re not eating

Me and my mother had a violent person stalking us. Long story. But we ended up in hiding. With very very little food. My mother didn’t eat so I could. For weeks. As an adult I remember it. Adult can’t hide things that well. 30 years later it still makes me cry when I think what my mum sacrificed so that I could eat.

Please get some help. Charities. All sorts.

[SCALPHELP]

I cannot understand why the £15 a week wasn't just transferred into the bank accounts of the parents rather than vouchers or food parcels.

The money is specifically for food, nothing else. Unfortunately there are many parents who will use the £60 per month however they see fit, whether it’s on necessities like
bills or on luxuries like alcohol. The upmost priority is to get these children fed, and the vouchers better ensure that will happen.

[Iwonder08]

Free school meals vouchers are designed for people in very difficult financial circumstances. Such people are not normally choosey about particular supermarkets they can shop in. There are ways to spend them online. And yes, you can take children with you shopping if you don't fancy online options. It is covid, not plague. And it is also very good theyey have short expiry date, aren't you in a dire need right now?!

[Akire]

I would ring the school and ask for help. From what I’ve seen on the news most schools have been pulling out the stops to make sure vulnerable families have what they need. They will know your son is shielding and should have someone who is willing to take vouchers and get you food. Or failing that get you a food bank referral.

[SmileyClare]

I'll second what Lorie said. Look up your local food banks online and contact them. They will arrange a doorstep delivery in you're in receipt of benefits.

I would take my 3 children to the nearest supermarket and spend the fsm vouchers if I were you. You are allowed to take children shopping with you.

[Nopreservatives]

I don't think you're understanding them properly. 1 month to redeem the code and choose your supermarket, but much longer to spend them and the vouchers are redeemable online.

As for the posters saying it should be cash, of course, for the vast majority of families that would be fine, but for the most vulnerable, the ones who really really need this support, that would be a disaster.

[ineedaholidaynow]

The food element for FSM actually in school is about 80p per day if people think £3 a day is bad

[NoIDontWatchLoveIsland]

I have leftover vouchers that I want to use
Single parent of 3
No access to supermarkets
No childcare whatsoever
Nobody to do it for me
Delivery slots permanently full

Have you asked neighbours or looked on community noticeboards or Facebook groups? Almost everywhere im aware of there are volunteer groups helping the vulnerable by shopping for them. You can also use them for Asda online, or you are allowed to take your children shopping.

You must be getting food from somewhere. Its terrifically expensive and inefficient to buy it at corner shops and you will get better value & more for your money paying for transport to get to a supermarket to use the vouchers.

[WorraLiberty]

Or as a PP suggested, try your local council hub.

[FlatteredRhubardFool]

@Hazelnutlatteplease what vouchers are these? I've got some from edenred and some from school vouchers and the edenred ones are valid for a couple of years. I'm going to check the others now. I'm cev with 3dc no child care and no car so I have to use them online. I use mine at Waitrose because they were the o my supermarket that gave me priority, do free delivery, and usually have slots widely available unlike Tesco where I used to shop.

[WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo]

@Hazelnutlatteplease like others have said the Edenred codes are only valid for a month but the actual vouchers for much longer. I agree that its a pain that we can't use them online, but it is what it is. My mum "buys" mine off me for face value so I have cash I can spend online.

[FlatteredRhubardFool]

All valid for 2 years. I've just printed them out now. Primary school is sending food hampers. I got mine on Friday last week with use by dates of the next day or two days later and a rotten apple in the fruit.

[mummymummymummummum]

Hi @Hazelnutlatteplease

I apologise, I've not read the whole thread. But I am a NHS Volunteer Responder, and though I should let you know that you can self refer for help with shopping (and collecting prescriptions if you need). So if you can't find a suitable online store to use those vouchers, give them a ring to self refer. You can ask for one off assistance with shopping. The volunteer will need to collect the vouchers before heading to the shop, but will be more than happy to help. Details are here: nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk/services

[sashh]

Can I also recommend Olio. It's a sort of food version of freecycle. People give away all sorts of things, from a 1/2 loaf of bread to complete tesco shops.

[SmaugMum]

Also to add, the edenred vouchers can be exchanged for John Lewis or Marks & Spencer vouchers that have an expiry date of two years. I am ‘saving’ my vouchers to spend online in the JL & M&S 70 per cent off sales to buy shoes, clothes and birthday and Christmas gifts for my teenager and four-year-old.

I’ve simply switched my ‘clothes’ budget into my ‘food’ budget to carry on shopping at our neighbourhood Co-op (walking distance, good ‘packed lunch’ offers and fantastic orange-sticker reduced deals at the end of the day when it’s virtually empty).

It’s a system that works well for us as a family.

[iamtheoneandonlyyy]

@HavelockVetinari Thankyou for your lovely reply, I will get through I was just a bit offended at some of the Sneery posts.
I've always been a tax payer until June when I took my children and fled to a refuge, I had to stop work then.
It's just the time of some of the replies here are grating

[iamtheoneandonlyyy]

@movingonup20 my former partner was here then and deliveries were easy to get.
Fled from him in June and now can't access the supermarkets. Local shops in a tiny town are crippling me.

[iamtheoneandonlyyy]

Thanks to those that pointed out they don't take the money in advance, I'm having a bit of a facepalm moment now .
What a donkey

[WorraLiberty]

@iamtheoneandonlyyy

Thanks to those that pointed out they don't take the money in advance, I'm having a bit of a facepalm moment now .
What a donkey

I used to think that too and I'm almost sure many years ago they did?

Also, I don't know if Morrisons deliver to you but I pay £8 per month to get 'free' delivery every week with their delivery pass. It works out well as Saturday deliveries for example are about £5.

I'm also pretty sure that's why ever since lockdown 1 I've always managed to get a delivery slot, as priority is given to pass holders.

[Sexnotgender]

@iamtheoneandonlyyy

Thanks to those that pointed out they don't take the money in advance, I'm having a bit of a facepalm moment now .
What a donkey

If you don’t know how the system works it’s understandable. The bank will do something called a preauthorisation, they’ll check your card details are valid essentially. But these have zero value and so the money for the actual shop doesn’t come out until the day of delivery.

[Kathsmum]

Morrison’s also do free delivery to vulnerable people within 10 miles of store. No min spend either. There’s a phone number not online which is fab too.

[luxxlisbon]

@iamtheoneandonlyyy

I have leftover vouchers that I want to use
Single parent of 3
No access to supermarkets
No childcare whatsoever
Nobody to do it for me
Delivery slots permanently full
I could do an order for a few weeks away but the very little cash I have needs to be used for food now and can't be paid in advance.
I'm not ungrateful and I really could do with using them, I'm having days where I'm telling them mummy's not hungry at the moment
But yes, all of the posters on here saying I should be grateful are so wise and generous.

Your problems are nothing to do with with the FSM vouchers though?

If you can't get an online shop then how would the vouchers help?

How did you get groceries when your children were in school?