Free laptops / internet for those on benefits

[liam8282]

If you claim any of the following:

Section One:
Are you a parent or guardian responsible for and living with a child…..
…who is in school years 3 to 9?
…who attends a state-maintained school in England full time**?
…who has not already had a computer from a Home Access Grant or similar programme, such as Computers for Pupils?

Section Two:
Do you receive at least one of the following?
• Free school meals for your child***
• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income support
• Child Tax Credit but not Working Tax Credit and an income of less than £16,040
• Guaranteed Pension Credit (not Savings Credit)
• Income-based Employment Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Check out the website: http://www.homeaccess.org.uk

Unfortunately of no use to me.

[geoff11]

must be an election year lol.

[SingleSue]

They trialled this in my area (plus Oldham) last year.

You can be working but obviously, earning less than £16k ish a year....has helped us enormously as it was a fight over who got on the one pc in the house before!

My sister in law also got one for her children and she works.

[Teresita]

Do you know if this is available in Scotland?

[DX2]

Originally Posted by Teresita

Do you know if this is available in Scotland?

No it's England only atm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8449485.stm

[jdturk]

Originally Posted by geoff11

must be an election year lol.

surprising that....especially as the country is meant to be cutting back on spending!

[geoff11]

Originally Posted by jdturk

surprising that....especially as the country is meant to be cutting back on spending!

yeah but if gordy mcbroon thinks its a vote winner its ok:confused:

[Loopy Girl]

Hopefully this will get rolled out nationwide

[geoff11]

Originally Posted by Loopy Girl

Hopefully this will get rolled out nationwide

its going to be nationwide is it not?

[skcollobcat10]

Free laptops/internet for those on benefits???

This is going to make the workshy even worse!

Let them buy their own when they have worked hard enough to afford one!

[SingleSue]

Erm, you can be working but on a low wage too.

[geoff11]

correct it states families on low incomes which doesnt always mean they are not working.

[skintlady34]

Well, thats just great. I'm waiting for months to sort out money that i'm entitled to, but at least when i cant pay the bills or buy food i'll be able to get online *sighs*

[Evie82]

It says
• Child Tax Credit but not Working Tax Credit and an income of less than £16,040

So how does that work? Someone above said they were working and got the grant....
I earn less than £16k a year BUT i do get WFTC ........... so am i able to get it or not????

[DX2]

Originally Posted by Evie82

It says
• Child Tax Credit but not Working Tax Credit and an income of less than £16,040

So how does that work? Someone above said they were working and got the grant....
I earn less than £16k a year BUT i do get WFTC ........... so am i able to get it or not????

£16k a year does that include your working tax or is your working tax on top off that?

[Penny-Pincher!!]

It would make more sense to offer this deal for people working low paid jobs or starting up a new business etc.

Definately tryng to get peoples votes!

Surely this money would be better spent elsewhere?

[geoff11]

i think hes going to need more than free laptop giveaways to help him somehow but thats whys hes doing it its election time.

[sunnyone]

We meant to ask if our son is entitled to free school meals but we havnt, we claim child tax credits with a bit extra for my HRCC and we automatically get full medical costs due to low income, is this the same criteria as free school meals?

[AnxiousMum]

I'll probably get lambasted for this but hey ho - I do agree these should be for low income 'working' families. If someone is not working, there is always computers available at the job centre when they go to sign on, at the library etc. I see the main reason for them is so that parents can keep in touch with what their kids are doing at school - maybe some parents should try looking in the student planner - correspondence daily from staff when necessary, see what homework is due, if it's completed etc. They are already provided free to every high school student in the country. The supposed reason for providing them isn't valid. Lambaste away...

[SingleSue]

I think the idea is so that the children of low income or no income families have the same access to studies as those in higher earning families. An awful lot of homework now is based on the assumption that there is a pc available within the home to do research and submit.

Not all those on benefits will be going to the job centre to sign on....and these computers are not designed for the parents but the children.