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.

Precisely! OP wasn’t saying it’s anyone’s faults but that it irks her. Exactly what I am saying.

is it fair?

No.

is it ok to acknowledge that?

Yes.

👏🏻

Lots of misunderstanding of the system and also the genuine people saying you have to work. Well yes, that's the rule but just because you follow the rules or can follow the rules doesn't mean others do. There are lots of tricks passed among certain groups.
Yes material deprivation is a big issue that this helps towards but the cultural deprivation/ differences are much much trickier to fix. We see many comments here, very low take up of opportunity, no or low value placed on education and high culture, low aspirations as even if the child gets straight As they are still unlikely to be a successful lawyer or Dr. Fatalism.
Of course people love their kids, what they lack are the skills and knowledge to prepare their kids for school and the world. By age 2 these kids are behind on basic skills because their parents don't talk to them directly em9ygh to see lip movement, watch more media, don't count and do colours as play. They often feel they shouldn't be reaching their child numbers and letters as that it the schools job and they don't want to do it wrong. Reading to children is rare.
Yes Some pp or on fsm will have mc values the education system values and read to their kids, park daily, library weekly etc but it's not the majority.

Yes, circumstances change, but you can also change them back to positive again.

Oooh I didn’t realise that. How do I become un disabled and go back to work? And when that’s done, how do I un disable my child so he doesn’t need 24/7 1-1 care?!

Why do people keep bringing it back to disability when that’s clearly not what is being discussed here?

We have a damp problem in our owned house. We can't afford the damp course. 👋

Hmm £100k and they can't afford kids? Sounds like they have a money problem or a too big house problem. They can afford it if they wanted a child.

Really sorry to hear that.

I’ve pointed this out above but I did say those with a mortgage are “probably more likely” to be able to have the emergency savings to pay for it. I am aware that home ownership does not protect one from poverty or hardship or struggling to make ends meet etc.

Because disabled people exist, and have children, and some of them get FSM? It’s as relevant to us as it is to able bodied people, especially when posters are whinging and moaning about people getting something for nothing, and claiming that no one needs to be in the position of needing help.

Did you think we all lived in a little box somewhere and weren’t affected by social policy?

This thread is very depressing. On the face of it yes, I agree that people shouldn't have children that they cannot afford. However my kids are 9 and nearly 6 and my circumstances have changed a lot since my 9 year old was born. I'm a single parent now and whilst I work almost full time I can empathise hugely with people who are in dire straits and can't work for whatever reason. Telling someone that they "shouldn't have kids they can't afford" when the kids are already here is really pointless because the kids are here now and still need feeding!

The birth rate IS dropping btw, and the cost of living and cost of childcare is putting people off.

Hopefully we can try and get some savings together to get it done. Just seems to be one thing after another that needs fixing! (Old house!)

Why isn’t it putting off people who are out of work? Not being nasty, I’m genuinely curious why this foresight only seems to apply to average earners

That's good for you but not many people are that lucky. I would do the same for my family.
I was really trying to dispel the myth that benefits are generous and the government is handing out loads of money to families, they're really not.

Well said, @Oblahdeeoblahdoe

Maybe they have a not very nice life and children being some joy to them?

at the children’s expense?

Yes hopefully! It’s a bloody nightmare!

I didn't say it was right.

But dont you see how dangerous it is to perpetuate the myth that people on benefits who have nice things must be taking the piss/fiddling/defrauding the system?

Its a dangerous narrative because its SO often wrong, and is the kind of rhetoric that people like some of the folk posting on this thread like to hang on to.

Someone already claimed we're only getting our kids diagnosed with disabilities to get extra money, like claiming DLA/PIP is the easiest thing in the world..

I'd guess because their hierarchy of needs does not have a large house in a naice area at the apex?

Different folks, different strokes.

Id think it's not people falsely claiming but that cm is not considered at all. And doesn't have to be the pittance cms calculation.

I do wonder if the announcement today about cms going after them 6 weeks instead of 6 months precedes an inclusion of cm in benefit calculations as a policy to lower the bill.

I feel very sorry for the children of posters who think it’s acceptable to repeatedly post spiteful bullshit like that.

It must be horrible growing up in a home knowing your parent would despise you if you were unemployed.

What is also sad is that they may become chips off the old block and become the next generation of Ebenezer Scrooges and Nigel Farages I seem to often encounter here.

Hi @WithACatLikeTread . Off topic, but you probably don't need a new damp course (I assume someone has said you need the injectible gubbins), especially if you have an old house. Ventilation, heating and using breathable paints could cure the issues.

https://www.heritage-house.org/damp-and-condensation/managing-damp-in-old-buildings.html

That’s very judgemental. I grew up in a “poor” family claiming FSM and many other benefits and my home life was perfectly happy thanks as I’m sure many others are/were.

Really? It is rising damp unfortunately! Trying to get quotes for things but people aren't turning up. 🙄