Free fruit and veg for toddlers/

[Hulababy]

linknews.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3492939.stm\free vouchers{} for fruit and veggies for low income familes. What do you think?

Snap stupidgirl. Exactly the same as you, milk vouchers don't get used as we don't drink milk! I think it's fantastic news, even if it doesn't seem much to many of you, it will make a difference to my budget.

Yep, and mine.

I do agree with this scheme, however I have to say if £5-£10 a week is that hard for people to find then maybe people are in the wrong job, or should cut down on their own things...(my mother had absolutely no support from my father financially for many years and had 5 children to bring up, we had a very healthy diet..because she was very careful) am sorry am going to be very unpopular here but if you can't afford £10 a week on fresh friut and veg then why not get a more enterprising job (ie. it has never been a problem with families in the past, they have cut back on things...why should hard working people subsidise people who aren't willing to try a little bit harder in their lives)

btw...before you think am having a go, dh was once homeless with not a brass farthing to rub together, he had nothing to eat for weeks yet he bettered his situation...anyone else could do the same it's called motivation and not relying on other people tp pay your bills...sorry but feel very strongly about people just excepting their lot and not trying to beter themselves.

accepting their lot..I meant to say.

Lavendar, I'm not quite sur what you mean with the £5-£10 figure?

And (without this meaning to sound at all aggressive) have you considered that not all of us on benefits are just sitting back and accepting our lot? I am trying so hard to get off benefits, but believe me, it's not easy. I don't know if you've seen any of my threads on the subject, but there is very little help for someone in my position.

Sorry for the typos. Will come back to this tomorrow.

Yep, me too!

I am sorry stupidgirl, I only speak from past experience...

The £5-£10 figure is what you would spend on fresh fruit and veg in order that your children get fresh stuff every day (from my experience)

You are right I do not know your situation and I do not mean to be so hard it's just that I have been on the benefit system myself and know there is a way out (for example my friend gets disability benefit because her son has ADHD..so she wont work more than 10 hours a week or she'll loose this money...on the same token I work 20+ hours a week, get no government assistance because I have actually looked beyond the minimum work I can do...didn't mean to offend anyone here...but am very optimistic person who believes if Madonna can go and make her way in the world then anyone can...not harsh...what is your situation if you don't mind me asking, am only trying to help...

Lavender1, to be blunt, you are not coming across as someone who wants to help, but someone who wants to lecture.

While it is true that small numbers of people on benefits 'milk' the system (get dodgy people in all income bands) the vast majority try their damndest to better themselves. Your theory seems to be, 'if your life is tough we are not going to make it easier for you so that you will be 'forced' out to better yourself'.

So what do you do if there are no jobs? And what happens to your kids? What happens if you are a single parent, have disabled/elderly to look after? Do we let these people just struggle? Do we penalise their kids because the parents are in a bad situation.

Madonna did well, well yes, and that is going to happen overnight to eveyone is it? Get real please!

I am sorry, my message didn't come across as perhaps it should have, whilst I understand people's positions, I think what the government is doing isn't right, but am all for people eatung healthily, perhaps not like this though...sorry to have offended you, it really wasn't my intention.

First of all, please don't all descend on Lavender, she is entitled to her opinion. It's not always easy to get meanings across on here.

Lavender, I'm a single mum, 2 little ones and no support from dads. I have chosen to be a sahm, as I feel it's important, I have also chosen to home educate my little ones (my ds is 5, my dd is not quite 3).

So, I'm on benefits - income support and housing/council tax benefit. I privately rent a 2 bed flat (I share a room with dd) in an area I hate. I want to work and plan to become a childminder, but the flat I'm in right now is not suitable. But the HB I get (and I've phoned to ask how much they will pay) won't cover anything else (again, I'm only looking at 2 beds) I would have to find a minimum of £100 a month to be able to move. This is apart from the fact that most landlords, and even a proportion of letting agents, won't accept HB.

I know I can get off benefits if I can move, but as it stands, I can't get off benefits until I move, and I can't move until I get off benefits. They don't seem to account for this kind of situation.

As it is I don't drink much(the only alcohol I have in the house has been given to me), I don't smoke, I very rarely go out without the kids. I am veggie and very careful about what we eat, we eat lots of fresh fruit and veg. I put money away in a savings account for each of the children every month.

I'm desperate to get off benefits - it's hardly an easy option, and people make certain judgements about you. It certainly doesn't do a lot for your confidence. I know there are those who exploit the system and think the world owe them a living, but they are a tiny minority, and unfortunately those who claim benefits genuinely get tarred with the same brush.

stupidgirl, have you ever considered putting your name on a council house waiting list (in an area that you like....where do you live btw, if you don't mind me asking?) and whilst doing that looking for a job that you could do whilst your dd is at playgroup (if she is)....without meaning to sound funny, when you are educating your children at home, you wont be able to work outside the home....even though I stayed at home for 5 years with ds and dd, when they were at school I got myself a job to fit in with the hours...what am trying to say if you do want out of this predicament then staying at home with your children to educate them can't be helping...is there no way you could send them to school?

Lavender, I'm in the SE (west sussex) I have been on the council waiting list for about 3 years, I think. Because I have a roof over my head I am very low priority with very little chance of getting anywhere.

Dd isn't at playgroup, and even if she was I have ds to consider. I know I can't work outside the home (except v. part time evenings), which is why I'm looking at childminding, and I have another job lined up from home.

Educating the children is a completely separate issue. I know most people won't understand, but it is something I feel I have to do. I am not going to compromise the children because of this.

Lavender, I am exactly in the same position as Stupidgirl, except I only have 1 dd (nearly 3). I have been to see the New Deal adviser for lone parents, who is supposed to help people in my situation back into work. She actually advised me to wait until my dd was at school before even thinking to look for work. As things are, I would either have to work full time and earn heaps of money to cover rent childcare and all the rest (not realistic) or work very few hours. for very little money so as not to lose my housing benefit and therefore not be any better off. She goes to playgroup 2 mornings a week, will soon be going 4 mornings a week, but even this is not much help in finding a job as playgroup is only 21/2hrs per session. That means I would have to find a job for less than 2 hours, for 4 days a week? Also it would need to be a job very close to the playgroup.

Sorry last message a bit garbled as had not finished writing it and hit post message by mistake! Here it is again:

Lavender, I am exactly in the same position as Stupidgirl, except I only have 1 dd (nearly 3).

I have been to see the New Deal adviser for lone parents, who is supposed to help people in my situation back into work. She actually advised me to wait until my dd was at school before even thinking to look for work. As things are, I would either have to work full time and earn heaps of money to cover rent childcare and all the rest (not realistic) or work very few hours. for very little money so as not to lose my housing benefit and therefore not be any better off.

My dd goes to playgroup 2 mornings a week, will soon be going 4 mornings a week, but even this is not much help in finding a job as playgroup is only 21/2hrs per session. That means I would have to find a job for less than 2 hours, for 4 days a week? Also it would need to be a job very close to the playgroup. Somehow I don't think I'd find something that fits the bill.

In the meantime I do some unpaid work to keep my skills up to date and learn new ones, also looking into getting some training.

In my case I feel if I could get a council/HA flat that would make my situation so much better but like Stupidgirl am very low priority in fact not priority at all as I have been deemed "adequately housed", no matter that my very hihg rent prevents me from getting out of the benefit trap.

lavaender if your friend gets disability for her son, then qworking wont make her lose this money but it may mean she loses her carers allowence (u can earn £77 a week whilst claiming this). i am basically in the same situation. i get hight rate care for dd1, which means i am entitled to carers allowence and extra top ups on other benefits. i do want to work, but to make it viable for me to work, i'd have to work a fair amount to cover my rent and council tax which is currently paid for me. i am not qualified for anything, so my job options are not good at all. i want to go back to college jopefully this sept to get qualified for something but am undecided on what i want to do.
my kids eat pretty well, as good as fussy kids will eat (dd1 wont touch anything green, but has recently started trying fruit and veg again after refusing them for ages). my milk token do get spent on milk, the same way i would use the vouchers for fruit and veg.
i have also been homeless, its bloody hard, and to try and motivate yourself in a situation like that is awful, i was lucky in the fact i was able to get temp accomadation so i could claim benefits etc as i had 2 kids with me, but it is still a depressing situation.

i have not just sat here and accepted my lot, i have spent a lot of sleepless nights caring for my dd1. i had a job when she was younger and basically had to give it up as she was ill a lot and felt it was unfair to my parents who watched her during the day to have to look after her. when i gave up work i was able to devote quality time to look after her and help her improve.

It's nice, although sad to hear I'm not alone in this situation.

Like Misdee, thanks to my 'unusual' education I have no qualifications - well, 3 gcse's and 2 a'levels, plus no experience.

I have just started doing an OU course with the intention of doing a degree. I will also (when I've moved be doing the practical training required for working with children. I'm in the process of setting up some voluntary work for just a couple of hours a week, so that I can gain experience.

But none of this will help me until I move.

its the benefit trap. someone asked me the other day why i wasnt working as dh is home now as he is seriously ill and on incapcity benefit. i honestly dont belive he is well enough to cope with 2 children all day everyday whilst i went to work. for now, i will concentrate opn raising my family the best i can with the help i can. after all i've worked since i was 16 so a few years off caring for kids isnt gonna make much differnce. when dd2 is at school as well, then i will work.

and i have enver sold a milk token, i lend them to people, but they will do the same for me.

Lavender, you have fallen into the trap of assuming people who receive this are all on benefits. Presumably you think anyone getting the family tax credit is in this category?

God that really annoys me. We are on a low income and so will possibly receive this (we get milk vouchers, although this has only recently started and ds twins are now 2) we get nothing else. So what do you make of that then? Are we no hopers sitting on our backsides expecting everyone to pay our way? We also live in a HA house which should also annoy you, although we pay the rent,tax, bills, no one else.

And before you start on me being a SAHM and DH being the sole wage earner. My wages in the job I gave up to look after my boys, before tax, were £13,000. Nursery fees are £550 per month, per child. You do the math as you are so clever. I will be back to work when the boys start school, paying my taxes and being a 'good citizen' for smug people like you. Even worse, when I do return I will be on low wages as to have time off for the boys school holidays I will be doing agency work - oh the horror of we irresponsible mothers who want to look after our own children.

Get your argument right before wading in and insulting people!

Sorry, you feel like having a go at me Paula71, but like I said before it's the government I don't agree with, ...I myself was sahm for 5 years, dh and I had very little money and are paying the price now...it is just another tax for people to pay...believe me lady I am on a very low wage and in the school holidays my hours are cut drastically but I am sorry I do not agree with the government doing this, it didn't happen 40 years ago when people had far less money...it was the government I was condoning...seriously though nursery fees are expensive...I stopped paying these when I stopped work and my children went to playgroup which was a lot cheaper...sorry you think I'm smug, and sahm are good for society...wish you all the best

Lavender, can you clarify what exactly it is that the government does you don't approve of (keep it on topic or it will be a long list, I know mine would be )

I do think that there are big problems with the way the welfare system is managed. The situation we are in is proof of that. There are very few people who are happy languishing in the poverty trap.

There needs to be some kind of help for the likes of us. Help for the people who want to work, but cannot go out to work for whatever reason.

Any free fruit or veg is better than none!!
I've also been on benefits, milk vouchers were useless as Ds was not a milky kid unless it was gots (didn't cover)
Fruit was sourced cheaply from bargain bins, markets and sheer determination because I could and because I would.
It'd not always that bloody simple though. And I can recall days very recently where £5-10 was a dream to have in hand for luxuries like BREAD!
Thank whoever for the fact that I got the right job at the right time. Almost every mother does the best for her child when she can, or makes do with substitutes when not able.
Also Prince Charming arrived at my door, not on horse but with Audi and gorgeous eyes.
And we lived happily ever after
Thats why I'm here drinking beer and he's on the PS2

Cos we're happy!

original message was what do you think? I have so have not said anymore...thanks

well I guess those among us who have financial difficulties could always ask Madonna for a loan....although actually I happen to think that it's only BECAUSE there is poverty and want that people like her can be so stupidly and pointlessly rich. Cos there ain't enough for us all to be as minted as her let's face it.Another thread I suppose.

I don't believe in vouchers. I think they should lower the price of fruit and veg to make it more affordable for all of us.