To ask why do people not working claiming FSM get this for free?

[Sprinkledusting]

I’ve just discovered if you claim FSM and even if you’re not working, you can send your child to morning/after school club for free. And not just in our school either.
There are also sports clubs and holiday clubs during school holidays that state they are free for those who claim FSM. To claim free school meals your income has to be so low that you’re not working full time or not working at all, which of the people I know, most are not.
But those who are working have to pay for breakfast club/holiday clubs.

Can someone explain to me the logic behind this? As I simply don’t understand it.

You don't understand that people who's kids get free school meals afford breakfast club or activities in the holidays?
So if someone on minimum wage start's work at 8am the only way they can go to their job is to use the free breakfast club. Hope that helps.

Where did you hear this? Its not true my child has free school meals and I still have to pay for the breakfast club.
School trips are half price though

i can’t get upset about children being given an opportunity. There’s a big issue with uptake of these opportunities as parents feel judged. It’s about them not you or the parents. Torys have cut so much support back, this is the one small thing they get. There’s a reason they will get it, look at the social mobility stats, the university stats and employment stats.

when secondary comes they will get fuck all support so it’s very very limited. You’ll go on to hopefully increase your earnings, have a pension.

It's weird how begrudging some people are. The children won't be getting expensive food and the activities won't be anything amazing. A decent parent could provide activities or social interactions themselves and presumably those complaining consider themselves to be decent parents.

Maybe they receive pupil premium for another reason.

This.

The HAF clubs are usually 4 hours which includes a free lunch for vulnerable children who might otherwise not eat.
Just 4 hours in holiday time.
4 days at Christmas and Easter and during the summer holidays.

Those angry or jealous about those in receipt of FSM because they themselves are just over the threshold are directing their anger in the wrong place.

Put the blame where it belongs - on the Tory government that has cut eligibility to the bone.

There's nothing to be jealous of. Breakfast club isn't free if you have free school meals. This whole thread is bs

Nobody is resenting the kids getting lunch, they are resenting the parents not having to pay for it.

Except I was informed by a Mum that free school meals stay through school even if your income changes. Is this correct? I thought this Mum must be wrong, but she told me she had phoned and informed them. The Husband had had a period of unemployment abd she didn’t expect to get them for longer than that. Child has a great life, family are certainly over the school meals threshold.

I do totally get the system - its there to help the most vulnerable to have a chance. The kids didn’t choose that life. This made me question it though, as surely as soon as your income goes up, you would be taken off any free meals/clubs?

I agree. I don’t have kids and not on any form of benefits, but I have seen some of my full-time working parent friends struggle in a way that some of the non-working don’t. I noticed that when I worked as a support worker in schools too. I don’t think we should demonise people for feeling some type of way about this situation in this cost of living crisis.

however this could also apply to UC recipients though, so I find it interesting the OP can’t see how that might come across unfair to others. Especially when she has a mortgage. People in glass houses and all that?

I do think the government has set groups up against each other and we should really all be focusing on why it doesn’t always pay to work, why rent and house prices are out of control and why wages haven’t increased properly for over a decade?

And why politicians and the top earners keep getting massive pay rises and huge companies are maximising profits and getting tax break while raising prices on essentials like energy?

Why are female dominated professions like nursing and teaching always getting a rough deal…so as tempting as it is to be distracted - and I do get it - there are so many more important questions to ask than why FSM recipients get after school programmes free.

Trust me, if a child is getting free school meals and a free place at childrens club, their home life isn't all that great.

Now hang on a minute. I live in east London and quite a few of my son's classmates get FSM and free places in holiday club. Their home lives are in most cases excellent (in a few cases overcrowded but otherwise happy). They are lovely children from lovely homes, just with a low income. They are clean, well fed, loved by kind and intelligent parents. Can we not speak about them as if they are crouching in cold rooms after a beating from their drunken parents? This is why FSM carries a stigma, and in all the cases I know it is not justified.

Not including benefits. The benefit cap is like 26k. So someone could very well have more income than someone working in an average job. Correct me if I've misunderstood

They’ve probably all got flat screen TVs, designer trainers and mobile phones too, eh?

Stop kicking those who are (even) worse off than you are. Plays into the Tories’ hands and contributes to making this country an increasingly unpleasant place.

It isn’t about the parents, it’s about the children. The parents aren’t getting something for free- the children are being fed where they otherwise may well not be.

Are you jealous of people who get free food from the food bank?

It isn’t a zero sum game- just because those children get free food doesn’t stop your children from getting food. If fsm schemes stopped so it was ‘fair’, then those kids would be hungry. You would still feed yours.

Trust me, if a child is getting free school meals and a free place at childrens club, their home life isn't all that great

I was on benefits for a while, when my children were very you g and my ex husband had walked out. They were difficult years for us all in many ways but I had plenty of emotional support aswell as financial from my parents in emergencies. I was the same mother then as I am today. There was nothing wrong with my children's home life.

I did get free before and after school care one day a week as I gained some work experience at another school I then got my PGCE and have been full time ever since.

This will really blow your mind.

Whilst they are moving everyone over to uc they get fsm protection so even if they get a job and would normally not get fsm anymore they carry on!

So they could be earning 30k and the fsm and holiday clubs etc carry on!

@Sooty20235 I'm in a similar situation - and am looking at moving to another country where people actually value me and my partner's hard work. Don't give up on the most precious gift in the entire world (unless you don't want kids) because of how unfair the system is.

Not including benefits. The benefit cap is like 26k. So someone could very well have more income than someone working in an average job. Correct me if I've misunderstood

People on a low income can also receive UC.

Ah this explains why my child has a friend who gets it who lives in a lovely house/nice garden and still gets it. Absolutely bonkers system! Surely it should be there only for the most vulnerable to make sure kids get a decent meal and are looked after well in the holidays.

Ridiculous to carry it over if the parent’s income goes up.

@NotTheLastUserName I'm on the app so can't quote /reply to a quote

Your point 1 isn't true. As I said my friend has now for 4yrs had her child given fsm pp haf holiday and food vouchers even tho earns well now

Her child is on the list for all school life

She's tried to take off so that other chikdren benefit but it's now how it works

Maybe due to covid and applying /school form so was in 2020 to start school in 2021 - maybe due to the mini floor being lifted her child got all of the above and still does

School want her to keep pp as they get it and helps other children. She fine with that

But seems insane still gets fsm food/holiday vouchers and reading replies other chikdren are the same due to being on register for school life

It certainly isn't checked /reviewed yearly and when friend said she didn't need the help as earning again - they said didn't make a diff

@NewFriendlyLadybird

Well said 👏👏👏👏👏

working parents get FSM if they qualify. Its not just non-working parents

These schemes were set up to counter the fact that free school meal kids are unlikely to be eating lunch in the school holidays, because their families are poor. And the school lunch was probably their only decent meal of the day.

Additionally children from low income families have so few extra curricular activities, their education goes backwards in the summer holidays. Providing activities for free gives those children a better chance in life.

This was the case at my daughter's school. I ended up the only paying parent. So they couldn't afford to run it and it closed 😞