Bristol city council fsm vouchers not happening.

[oldstudentmum]

I’ve been sent this email not long ago the universal credit uplift ended now this.

Sandy if all the person has is £10 and they need to feed the kids extra meals and top up the electric as they DC are home all day which would you choose to do heat them and keep the fridge running or feed the them?
That is not extreme by the way I deal with families everyday who have to make that choice.

If they were going to make people apply via the household support fund instead it would have been very helpful to have announced it more than a week before the Christmas holidays.

@SandysMam

I struggle with the free schools meal thing. I don’t deny poverty exists but a loaf of bread, pack of ham, bag of carrots and 6 pack of crisps could be brought for about £2.50, enough for 5 lunches for a child. A bag of pasta, some tinned tomatoes and grated cheese about the same. So feeding two kids lunch for a fiver for 5 days. Even on benefits surely a family can find £5 to feed their kids for the holidays when they don’t have to the rest of the year? I know lots of people on benefits and they can all easily afford this. There are community pantry schemes all over the place. Not being goady but I do wonder about this.

It's not just about the cost of the food though , is it ? The families on FSM are more likely to be on key meters , which means they pay more for an already rising cost of electricity . Making the choice between heating and eating isn't done just by pensioners .

As a police officer , part of my routine patrol is to potter round the fast food shops . It's where a LOT of disenfranchised kids hang out , and I have a good relationship with the staff who tell me things about which kids are getting food bought for them etc because it's an easy route into grooming . The kids know me quite well , and I've asked some why they do it . More than one has said because it's warmer moving about outside , than being at home .

I don't understand your message op. On one hand you're saying you're angry they are stopping the FSM and on the other you're gloating about the big TV/sky and great life style you have when some that will be reading these vouchers are desperately in hard times.

My problem with these vouchers and the like us they act as a sticking plaster over a much bigger, uglier problems - like why housing is so unaffordable for so many and why it's ok for people to be working but still not able to cover their cost of living.

How about we stop selling off council housing stock, build some more council housing and tackle the exploitation that are zero hours contracts?

@NeedsCharging

Bristol were given £4,039,695.11 by the government in October as part of the Household Support Scehme for vulnerable households.

My own LA have allocated £2.4million of their funding to free meals for children throught the winter.

I wonder why Bristol haven't allocated part of their £4 million for the same?

A quick google search shows that they have indeed used funding for holiday activities for children who receive FSM where they will receive a meal. I guess this persons school hasn't been notified? www.bristol.gov.uk/people-communities/find-a-holiday-activity

@CactusFlowers

If they were going to make people apply via the household support fund instead it would have been very helpful to have announced it more than a week before the Christmas holidays.

The Household Support fund has been reported in local news since September and the money's been available since October. Not the councils fault if the school are only just communicating with parents. There's also provision for activities and food for disadvantaged children through a different scheme - they're not being left with nothing

@oldstudentmum

In answer to some suggestions. I’m angry for the many tens of thousands this will affect. The Bristol evening post are looking into this. I feel that fsm vouchers was a brilliant idea. With the rising costs of energy. It won’t affect me but I know of many that it made a difference to them. Oh I do have a big tv and sky! Yes Bristol is a very expensive place to live but I class myself as fortunate as I can afford a good lifestyle. I’m annoyed for others not as fortunate.

I think there is a council meeting on the 14th ! Regarding these issues.

I think a lot of local authorities in England are funding activities for children over the holidays. Perhaps make your school aware so they can target specific families, and maybe tell your local newsletter.

YHH is for school age children and young people who get benefits-related free school meals (FSM).

In Bristol, 35 organisations and providers have received funding to host over 190 four-hour inclusive sessions across the city, from the 20 December 2021 to 3 January 2022. Every activity will include a healthy and nutritious meal.

www.bristol.gov.uk/people-communities/find-a-holiday-activity

Are you eligible for the housing support fund (linked to council tax) ? Not sure if each area does it the same but I've received £200 tesco vouchers through their scheme. Which I am use to cover meals over school holidays.
Our council stopped the vouchers for fsm after last Christmas. They now do holiday clubs with meal included. My 3 have not been able to participate because:

1. They only do it upto age 13 (mostly only primary age),
2. Two have asd and won't go somewhere different,
3. One has a medical machine which means staff would need to be trained which isn't possible for short term care.,
4. I'm a disabled, single parent and can't physically get them there.

There will be many families who will benefit from holiday clubs however they'll also be many who don't because of the barriers to attending. The vouchers were much better because they covered everyone but probably cost the council more and the government gave the councils the money to use how they wished. Regards working more that isn't an option for all families (me included I was a professional till illness hit and I was no longer able to work). Disabled/none working people have also lost out on the new changes to uc as well as loosing the £20 - so there will be many families like mine who could find the vouchers very important and mean they won't go without. Hope you can get some help and support.

Was going to say the same as pp. there are multiple barriers to attending holiday clubs. Another one is low income working parents who have to pay for a whole days childcare and provide food. It should be a choice between vouchers or attending a club.

The "Rashford" money was never intended to be vouchers, it was supposed to be meals. Councils did vouchers via schools because they had to do "something" at very short notice during Covid restrictions. It's right that they're looking at other ways now.

The problem with vouchers or any cash benefit is that whilst of course the majority of parents use it for the benefit of their children, those children in most need of it don't ever see it.

It's also quite an admin burden on schools, but I don't think that's why they're looking at other ways to provide for their most in need chikdren.

@JingleJingleAllTheWay

Not gloating being sarcastic

The school has only been told now by the council, this council really drags it feet as well on many issues.
Many working parents got the vouchers as well. I did during the lockdown got to say they were a godsend. I like so many others made cutbacks . Like posters above circumstances for people can be very hard and a small amount of £15 per can make a huge difference.
I think the main issue I have is that it is only now the council are informing the schools and in turn parents. Perhaps if they had been a bit more transparent earlier but this council is slow! They make monumental f!!k ups.

We’ve got a holiday club where I live. Everything went v fast. My options were: have one meal in a pub that takes two buses to get to or go karting once. Woot!

So they're using the money they've received to pay private companies to run chargeable activities? Like the sports one which involves paying a minor sleb to cook a cake with a few kids (and is also sponsored by the makers/distributors to promote a film) - to run profit making activities?

I thought my LA had not spent the £7 million they got wisely however in comparison to Bristol it does seem more realistic.