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

[PicaK]

The fsm voucher has to be used within a month.
You use it to buy store e-vouchers.
All these last 12 months.

[TierFourTears]

I hope all you struggling find a way to redeem to vouchers.
For those deciding against M&S due to price, they have said they will exchange the £15 of vouchers for £20 of food.
corporate.marksandspencer.com/media/press-releases/5ff7017fc6fe1bc26cb21d12/m-and-s-food-to-bolster-the-government-s-15-free-school-meals-vouchers-to-20-to-give-children-breakfast-and-lunchtime-meals

[playthegame]

We have received vouchers since the school closed the first time. I have 2 children in senior school.
Oddly enough, we are entitled to FSM as I was temporarily not working as a single parent on a certain date in 2017 I believe.
I have since moved in with DP, both of us are working yet children still get FSM.
To be honest, the vouchers have really helped at certain times. My DP was off work sick over the summer after major surgery and I am now on unpaid maternity leave.
I am so grateful, this scheme has really made things easier for us when we were struggling.

I opted for Asda (as it is round the corner to us) and also seemed to be the only one you can use online.

[Nimue21]

A vanishingly small number of people

It would be nice if that were true. I understand why people don't want to believe that parents would spend their childrens food money on drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, gambling and more...but they do. And more than you would like to imagine.
For those of us who work in certain areas, it's the reality.

[Nopreservatives]

@Nimue21

A vanishingly small number of people

It would be nice if that were true. I understand why people don't want to believe that parents would spend their childrens food money on drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, gambling and more...but they do. And more than you would like to imagine.
For those of us who work in certain areas, it's the reality.

Plus it's the children who need this help most who are most likely to be in that situation.

[TheMethodicalMeerkat]

I think proportionally the number of parents who would spend it on cigarettes, drugs or alcohol is small to be fair. However given so many people have been furloughed or lost their jobs I suspect there’s a greater risk that this amount paid into bank accounts could be swallowed by an overdraft or direct debit and therefore not available for food, however much it was needed. Then of course there are those with financially abusive partners who might still expect them to cover all shopping with the small amount they give them, despite the need to cover an extra 5/10/15 meals each week.

There is no perfect way of doing this and no matter how it was done there would be people complaining that it didn’t work for their very specific circumstances. IMO the voucher system is a pretty good one and should be workable for the vast majority of people. I don’t think anyone should have to prostrate themselves in gratitude but I also think some of the complaints on this and other threads on the topic are quite feeble. Inconvenience and hardship are not the same thing!

Googling How to use FSM vouchers brings you to the edenred site which gives all the necessary information yet the OP couldn’t even be bothered doing that before starting a thread wrongly declaring the vouchers absolutely useless . I don’t like the sneering attitude of some pps but honestly, some people just don’t help themselves.

[Hazelnutlatteplease]

Googling How to use FSM vouchers brings you to the edenred site

I've got to say I dont normally Google how to use gift cards as its fairly self evident. But I very much appreciate the link to the table which highlights where does accept them online and where does not.

[marshmallowfluffy]

I think supermarket vouchers are a good way to do this. A parent could buy some homeschooling stationery with the voucher too which isn't its primary purpose but in the spirit of this benefit.

I saw these on SM which might help?

[MrsBadcrumble123]

Selling them on?? Seriously!! THIS is why there’s so many people questioning the validity of claimants free school vouchers!! SMH

[IndieTara]

Our school posts out Tesco E gift cards and I also cannot use them for online shopping. It's a pain to have to go Instore for various reasons.

[whatwouldjudydo]

As a single mum of four I also found this difficult as getting to the shops with 4 kids isn't easy or great in a lockdown. My brother did a shop for me when he could and then I used them in the local tesco petrol garage for weekly top ups for milk, fruit and bread. I would drive and leave the kids in the car while I ran round quickly! Not great but was a better option then walking them all round the supermarket! I also found towards the end asda ones could be used online and also Waitrose (although couldn't justify shopping there) the vouchers have been a lifesaver for me tbh! I have relied on them a lot so the fact you've been saving them and haven't needed them is a good thing.

[IndieTara]

Oh and we don't get £3 per day we get £2.30 per day

[Tessabelle74]

Genuine question as I can't find an answer, where is the money going that is set aside for universal free meals? My 4 year old gets them at school but we don't qualify for the means tested ones, where has her £3 a day gone and surely all kids on universal meals should still get them or the money be sent to the school for other uses?

[IndieTara]

@TheMethodicalMeerkat not everybody gets vouchers from EdenRed our school posts out Tesco e gift cards you can only use in store.

[lindyloo57]

What bluntness100 said , there are those who would buy drugs,fags , booze instead of food.

[WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo]

@MrsBadcrumble123

Selling them on?? Seriously!! THIS is why there’s so many people questioning the validity of claimants free school vouchers!! SMH

I'm so sick of posters claiming this is wrong. On the one hand we're being told "if you need them you'll find a way to use them" then when we find a sensible solution (which for a lot of people is to "sell them on") then we are told that's wrong.
My vouchers are being used. My DC are being fed. Why exactly who spends the vouchers matters I don't understand.

And the parents who sell the vouchers to buy cigarettes/drugs/alcohol are the ones who won't feed their DC properly however the school use the FSM funding.

[Sarahrellyboo1987]

Firstly, it’s illegal to sell them on. I hope you get caught! Utter disgrace

And secondly, if you don’t need them (because you’re saving them!) then you should make it clear to the school you don’t require the voucher.

[Owl55]

If you buy your food online contact Asda or supplier , explain the dilemma and ask can they suggest how you can use it when shielding

[Sinful8]

@StarCat2020

It is utterly disgusting that the Government begrudge CHILDREN £3 a day for lunch.

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.

I don't want to be cynical but I wonder if the whole farce with the food parcels wasn't intentional to keep certain voters on their side??

I hope I am wrong.

Because the government is trying to make sure that £3 lunch ends up in the kids.

Not everyone has an ideal life, not everyone is free of pressure, its not about punishing or judging its about making the right path the easiest path. And the wrong one less easy.


Takes 2 minutes to walk into a betting shop with a debit card, takes a surprising amount of time to sell vouchers openly marked as for kids food before going in.

[SmileyClare]

Oh get over yourself Sarahrelly Posters are asking a friend or family member to spend their voucher so they can buy an online shop.

Op has asked her mum to spend hers in Asda because she's at home shielding and cannot get to the supermarket.

How is it a disgrace to find a way to use the fsm money? It's a sensible solution.

[Lynz78]

@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.

Hi have you tried looking into local charities to do a shop for you. We do a couple of shops for people using the vouchers.

[Tessabelle74]

If anyone reading this is near Corby or Market Harborough, please message me if you're struggling to get to a shop that accepts the vouchers, I'll happily go and shop for you

[caspersmagicaljourney]

@LadyCatStark

Bloody hell, some people are never happy 🙄.

Yeah, I was thinking the same 🙄

[superstar84]

Asda and Sainsbury's can both be used online

I'm shielding and usually use Tesco

We've chosen Asda and book a slot every 2 weeks which uses to vouchers nicely and can usually get a slot for £2.20 with a £25 minimum spend

Handy as we've been able to stock up on printer paper, pencils and pens etc as well without paying for postage

[RootyT00t]

@Sinful8

Surprised you stopped at gambling there you missed a chance to mention about their drinking and smoking too.

Incidentally, do the government pay as much heed as to how the MPs use their expenses?