Chancellor to cut free school meals budget

[Romilly70]

Times Article

Of all the budget cuts I have heard of, this one seems like one of the worst.

(The Millionaire) Chancellor George Osborne has no clue about the real world. Children on free school meals really need them.
Fair enough, people on JSA and benefits will still get them, but what about those just keeping their heads above water on a low income and a few tax credits.

In the same article they talk about maintaining the overseas aid budget; I may sound like a right xenophobe, but surely we have a duty to protect the poorest children at home first...?

I hope that these consultations with the public about where budget cuts should be made really do go ahead so that we have a proper say in this madness.

How many people actually get them who aren't on JSA/Income Support though?

I remember a friend looking into it, and if you get WTC you aren't entitled to free school meals. But don't most people on very low incomes (I think it had to be less than £16,000) get WTC anyway? If they were working and on that low an income surely they would, and if they weren't working wouldn't they get JSA or income support (and so be entitled to free school meals)?

Or is there something I'm missing

Its not a cut, they are just not extending the scheme like labour had planned.

A lot of things will be cut in the coming years so it's not actually that shocking.

I'm preparing myself for worse.

You don't get them if you get WTC. I work part time in a low income job and don't qualify because I work.

But children who currently receive free school meals will continue to receive them, it is just that the proposed extension of provision is no longer affordable. Of course it would be lovely to do, but there's no money.

That's what I thought mugglewump

This is Gordon Brown's old trick.

Say you would spend £x billion extra on a project.

Then when the Tories disagree, say it is a "cut".