Free holiday clubs for my friends who do not work

[rhodrhi]

i am a lone parent. I work full time and parent full time. I have no idea how how I am going to manage school holidays. I get a bit of UC but not enough to cover 4 weeks of holiday clubs. Two of my friends get means tested benefits, do not work but have booked their kids in for 5 full weeks of holiday activities for their kids because they get means tested benefits because they do not work. I would have thought you would have to prove you are working as there is no reason their children can't stay at home with them. I am so overwhelmed trying to scrap around for childcare yet they are getting unnecessary clubs for free. Genuinely want reasons why iabu because I am feeling particularly bitter this evening!

That’s a very long-winded way of saying you don’t want poorer children to have nice things.

If you are entitled to UC, then you will get childcare paid as they do.

You need to change the amount on your journal that you will be paying. Obviously they only pay 85% up to a certain amount depending on the amount of children

That’s it twist it.

No it isn't. It's pointing out that those who actually need the childcare don't have access to it.

You are talking bollocks. If you are referring to HAF activities you have 6 credits and use them on basically 1 activity a week.

Ironically, you will be getting them in the next half term due to Labour letting anyone on UC have free school meals.

I think she would know if the kids are getting 5 weeks of childcare.

See the nice thing for me would be being able to have my child at home with me for the holidays. Or being able to book him in to archery, football, rock climbing, music groups etc all of which they are booking on to despite being perfectly capable of looking after them at home. I am exhausted and would benefit hugely from being able to put them in holiday clubs for free. I don't have the £50 a day for four weeks. That's £1000. I could get a loan from UC but then would be worse off every month thereafter. I just wish these things went to people who actually need it.

You dont think this is utter BS, designed to cause hate? You believe everything you read online by an anonymous person? If she said it, it must be true.

Why the f would she be bothered to make a post up like this.
Of course not everything is true online.
But calling her a liar with no proof whatsoever is a bit much.

It does sound tough and I totally get why it feels unfair.

I'm not. They said they got 3 weeks funded over the summer from HAF and an extra two weeks from a local scheme which given is a private forest school. Unless they are both lying.

No it’s not this at all it’s about OP working, doing her best and struggling for childcare while people who don’t work (ok maybe some couldn’t work owing to disabilities but a large number COULD and DONT)
this is the argument, it’s not punishing “poor children” it’s making it harder for children who’s parents work
how is that fair!

I haven't made anything up. I am just pissed off and venting. I am completely exhausted running around like a headless chicken trying not to seem like a complete liability to my workplace. I budgeted for holidays camps but my funds are spent, as I needed two new tyres for my car and my rent went up some months ago by a ridiculous amount and I have been house hunting for 3 months with absolutely no luck. I am completely genuine and just have had enough of trying to cover 14 weeks of school holidays throughout the year, tearing my hair out in the process.

It won't apply to those who will get FSM via UC. There will just be almost like 2 tiers of FSM, one due to UC and the original one. The original one will continue with HAF etc but the UC one will just be FSM.

I hear you. It used to annoy me that my kids had limited options but highly expensive, and other kids had great holiday clubs and free.

And I wasn't eligible.

It isn't about rich or poor it is about fairness. I felt my kids were disadvantaged because I worked.

I think it's unfair, another example of labour penalising the workers and rewarding the shirkers. Fed up of it.

I get it OP, it’s tough to not be bitter about it. I’m paying £160 to send my child to a holiday club for four days. They also offer HAF places- the children with HAF funding will also get a free bus to pick them up and drop them off, and lunch. I’m desperate for a day off just for myself but I can’t have one because all my annual leave goes on covering school hols or when the children are sick. I try to reframe it and think about how it benefits the children who receive the HAF funding, who wouldn't otherwise get to do the activities on offer at the holiday club. The fact that it benefits their parents hugely is a bi product but not the purpose.

You get 6 credits on HAF. The activities can range from 1 credit to 4 credits. Thats a minimum of 2 activities in 6 weeks or 6 activities in 6 weeks.

I get haf and I dont use it, as its mainly aimed at SEND- which she is not.

You will be entitled next term, so you can enjoy the activities (which dont cover a normal working day) and the free lunch is a tiny apple, warm ham/cheese roll and water.

Do these children have SEN by any chance? As im guessing local authorities are putting more in place and would explain why they aren't working.

I know how you feel. I'm a lone parent too, working full time and struggling. A couple of years ago my daughter really wanted to go to holiday club at her regular hobby and it would have helped me juggle work but there's no way I could have afforded it. A girl in her class though with HAF funding went every day - quite hard to explain to my daughter.

The adults don't get free holiday clubs, the kids do.

It's fucking shit growing up with parents who won't work and have no money. (bitter experience)

Doing activities and sports really helps children learn a work ethic, builds confidence and social skills and friendships, and helps the next generation have more aspirations and skills than their useless feckless parents, saving the taxpayer money in the long run.

I've just looked on our local authority page and it literally says they fund 16 fully funded days over summer.

I work, but also have no money. Constantly feel like I am a shit mum and failing my child. Just feel like I need a break. I don't know what I am going to do over summer and feel so overwhelmed. He is going to end up in front of the TV whilst I work as I just dont see any other option.

You're assuming that all LA's do it the same way which won't be the case.

I think that’s the point of these clubs for certain children, the parents aren’t perfectly capable of looking after them at home.

They can’t provide the activities children require throughout the holidays, so it’s falling to the government to step-in.

YANBU but people on MN always stick up for people who get things for free.

I suppose in the long run you will be better off as they will lose money once the kids are 18. But you will hopefully have some sort of pension and a salary coming in.

I think it’s a shame that the parents don’t want to spend time with them & ship them off to clubs every day.