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.

If you read up, you will see that rising damp is really rare (and some say a myth!) and something that is diagnosed often in order to sell useless treatments. I was told my house had rising damp about 15 years ago and was quoted about 4k to have a damp course injected. I did loads of reading about it and have basically solved the issues myself at a fraction of that price. Have a good look at them website I linked to. There are lots of other sources of info too.

Ultimately, people need to stop having children if they can't afford them.

We are also looking to do the same and fortunately in a position where we can, phew! It's just hideous to think Brexit has made that so much harder for young people. I wonder what the brain drain would be like if we hadn't had Brexit....

I can confirm that once you've been on FSMs, it's so so difficult to be taken off them!

My youngest is now 17 but back when he started school, there was an admin error and I was entitled to FSM. Not only that but I was called and told I could have free uniform, a grant towards a laptop, all sorts

But it was an error. I was married with two kids and a combined income of 85K back then.

So I told the school it was an error and they had no idea how it had happened but assured me they'd correct it

Well, I was still struggling with this when he went into year 7 and I finally lost my temper and sent a blistering email telling them to take me off it and ensure that it was done properly this time

So I wouldn't be jealous OP. I found it quite embarrassing to keep being offered this stuff and I felt I was spoken to like I was some sort of halfwit with a 'poor child'

Having to keep saying ' we have money! We don't need assistance!' No thank you, we will pay for the school trip!' became really wearing

It's where they are in their current stage of education in March 2025. So if there is still in primary then it will stop end of primary, if in high school it will stop end of high school,

We support a charity called Buttle UK who help families in the sort of situations you describe.

When I hear examples of how some of those families were living before the charity stepped in to help, my heart breaks.

It isn't just about whether they can afford school meals or not.

Imagine two children sharing a single bed because they can't afford another bed. One of those children is traumatised from something they witnessed, and wets the bed during night terrors. Now neither child is sleeping well.

Mum can't keep up with the laundry because her washing machine broke and she can't afford to replace it.

Now those kids sometimes don't have sheets on the bed.

Those kids qualify for FSM. Personally I think they deserve after school club too.

I'm also glad that due to the fundraising efforts of people all over the country (including events like children in need) families that need help can be helped.

I don't begrudge them the assistance they get.

Silly people. How dare they not be able to see into the future.

So I wouldn't be jealous OP. I found it quite embarrassing to keep being offered this stuff and I felt I was spoken to like I was some sort of halfwit with a 'poor child
Having to keep saying ' we have money! We don't need assistance!' No thank you, we will pay for the school trip!' became really wearing

That’s nice for you , but surely you understand there are many parents (both working and non-working )who may have less disposable income than you, that would and do jump at the chance to have all these free things offered to them ?

I have a friend who works 12 hours a week although her kids are high school aged and she very happily accepts anything going free for them and even challenges the school if she does have to pay for any trips . She doesn’t find it embarrassing at all because in her own words she “works really hard”. Tbh Even when she was unemployed she had no issues accepting freebies. And I can’t even fault btw she’s just doing what the system allows.

And I do agree it’s not a good idea to be jealous or direct blame at the recipients of FSM. as I’ve said upthread the bigger issue is greedy and corrupt governments and companies who insist on more on more profit , but realistically speaking not everyone is prideful about accepting free stuff.

So I doubt OP or others who are feeling resentful about having to work for what others get free in a cost of living crisis are going to see not getting offered free things as a positive thing.

We could just force everyone to have an abortion unless they own their own large enough house (outright) and have 200k in the bank.

well done for doing something.

my view is if 1 person takes the piss yet 5 are helped in the positions your talking about then I honestly don’t care.

it’s like lee Anderson the MP moaning about people going to McDonald’s yet pleading poverty. If their kids can be warm for an hour, the parents feel like they are treating their kids like normal kids and they get a hot meal. I cannot get upset over that. They can charge phones, don’t have to turn the cooker on and eat for not a lot. Fuck it. I can’t get angry at that

Think you were reading too much into it. They might have thought you did need it but were pretending you didn't. Part of safeguarding stuff.

Where I live, during the summer you get 16 sessions. You can use them for skiing lessons, horse riding or just normal holiday club. It covers the full time 8-6.

It is a way of feeding them. How can ypu begrudge this?

That is not true, I actually know people with benefits who end up having a higher income than those who work because they have free rent, no council tax etc. On top of that, they have free school meals, breakfast club, afterschool and holiday clubs for free even though parents are not working! They have a few thousands pounds saved also. But a single parent who is working and has mortage will not get any benefits. How is that fair? How is the system supporting working parents? A child with a working parent might end up having less than the one on benefits.

Since when do they have no council tax? Pretty much everyone has to pay that.

If you’re on uc lots of days out are cheap or free like London zoo

Free rent? No council tax? Oh goodie. Can I claim some back then as I've always paid rent and CT.

A single parent who is working may well be able to claim UC. Just not the housing element

Go and claim then? 🤷

What do you mean?

im talking to op who is moaning that she can’t afford to take her kids on fun days out and works and is on benefits. So I’m telling her there are lots of very cheap fun days out available to people on benefits like her.
(i don’t get benefits as I am a higher rate tax paying professional so I pay full price for everything, except for my funded two days at nursery which are a godsend, so no cheap days out for me!)

There’s only a very few families that can afford children with no government help at all

If they are studying and have 2 children yes, they will have most rent covered and no CT plus quite high benefits. If you're a single parent with a mortgage, you cannot claim UC unless you're on a very low income, even though you end up struggling every month with expenses. No help with childcare either, even though we need it the most since we work full time..

Ok. So the no council tax is because they are a student. Not because they get UC.
Having rent covered doesn't mean your house is free. You have to pay the rent out of your income. My rent is 2/3 of my UC. Luckily my young adult DC pay rent/ keep which helps.
Unemployed people are subject to the benefits cap. Their rent could easily be 50% or more of that.

I never will understand the mindset that says that even though I've got a career (or at least a job), and enough financial stability that I can be paying down a mortgage each month and thus providing at least a degree of wealth/security for my future, somebody else is nevertheless doing better than me - unfairly - even if they've got none of that long-term hope but do have a quid more in spare income than me from benefits. Either stop moaning and join them if you really think it's that great or (ideally), just stop moaning.

The main idea is that people who work do not get any help with childcare, when they need it the most. The system is broken not supporting people who actually work and pay taxes..they offer free afterschool and holiday clubs to people who don't work and could watch their own kids, while a working single parent needs to find ways to work around kids if they can't afford to pay!