free xtra benefits???

mitchaa

mspig wrote: »

We don't have benefits and hubby works but were struggling to pay for sons new high school things, his compulsory P.E kit with rugby shirt, football shirt, shorts with school logo, socks with school logo, polo neck p.e top with school logo, and black tracksuit with logo is costing us £130.00. Then we have the football and rugby boots he has to have aswell as the trainers with none marking soles, as well as all the uniform which all has to have the logo when i added it all up it will cost us just over £370.00 including bag etc.

Then when he starts school he has to take £15.00 for a locker, then £50.00 for a deposit for a school trip(letter states money has to be in on the first day of school, and £30.00 for the school fund.

So i'm not sure even if a single parent was brilliant at their finances that they could find that sort of money, school uniform isn't cheap not at high school level, primary schools not that bad.

Also just because some people are on benefits there is no need to talk down to them, everyone is human no matter of their financial status.

Absoloute ludicrous example of how much a school uniform costs:rolleyes:

I must be seeing things when i shop in tescos and note how cheap a school uniform is. You can certainly dress 2 children to go to school for well under £100.

You will also learn that the children in question are primary school age.

Dont try and kid people as to how much things cost. Your example is absoloute ridiculous. Football and rugby shirts and boots, tracksuits, locker fees, school trips and school funds:rotfl:

Never had any of these as compulsory when i was at school.

mspig

mitchaa wrote: »

Absoloute ludicrous example of how much a school uniform costs:rolleyes:

I must be seeing things when i shop in tescos and note how cheap a school uniform is. You can certainly dress 2 children to go to school for well under £100.

Dont try and kid people as to how much things cost. Your example is absoloute ridiculous. Football and rugby shirts and boots, tracksuits, locker fees, school trips and school funds:rotfl:

Never had any of these as compulsory when i was at school.

Might not of been compulsory when you were at school but they definelty are for my son, and to think we had to appeal to get him into the school now were hit with this large sum of money for his uniform and to top it all of his P.e kit can only be ordered through a mail order company and his uniform from one John Lewis store.

I kid you not that is the price of his uniform, i wish i could go to Tescos etc for it, like we have done for our son whos at primary school we got his from Asda but high school is different, he also has to have 2 aprons one for wood work one for food technology which are £10.00 form the school as it states has to have school logo on them.

Could do with a win on the lottery.

Elle00

I spend my child benefit on !!!!!! and beer so there's usually not much left to go spending on the kids.

Anyways, OP I think school uniform has to come out of benefits and that if you're short you have to apply for a budgeting loan which needs to be paid back.

The only hidden benefits I know of are the free childcare places for 2yr olds (which wouldn't apply to you) and concession rate swimming sessions. You just take proof of benefits to your local council run swimming pool and you get in for the concession rate. Better than a kick in the teeth!

Oh, regarding school trips; when I was at school ten years ago there was this loophole thing that meant they weren't legally allowed to stop you going if you didn't pay the contribution. I think it applies when it says "voluntary contribution of £46" or whatever - by putting voluntary that means you can contribute £1 and it's tough, they have to let your kids go even if that means subsidising them. It won't make you popular but it's an option for desperate times!

You could try applying to the social fund for specialist school equipment / uniform though as it's not standard to have to spend £20 on aprons with logos on! Say your son not having them might lead to bullying etc.

mspig

Elle83 wrote: »

I spend my child benefit on !!!!!! and beer so there's usually not much left to go spending on the kids.

Anyways, OP I think school uniform has to come out of benefits and that if you're short you have to apply for a budgeting loan which needs to be paid back.

The only hidden benefits I know of are the free childcare places for 2yr olds (which wouldn't apply to you) and concession rate swimming sessions. You just take proof of benefits to your local council run swimming pool and you get in for the concession rate. Better than a kick in the teeth!

Oh, regarding school trips; when I was at school ten years ago there was this loophole thing that meant they weren't legally allowed to stop you going if you didn't pay the contribution. I think it applies when it says "voluntary contribution of £46" or whatever - by putting voluntary that means you can contribute £1 and it's tough, they have to let your kids go even if that means subsidising them. It won't make you popular but it's an option for desperate times!

You could try applying to the social fund for specialist school equipment / uniform though as it's not standard to have to spend £20 on aprons with logos on! Say your son not having them might lead to bullying etc.

Think your getting the op and me muddled up, but in regards to the school trip its to france for the weekend and you either pay it and he goes or we don't and he doesn't and i would like him to do the whole cultural thing with school, some of the best holidays i ever had were with school to france and germany etc.

mitchaa

To be honest, children do get bullied at school for being/looking poor.

I knew kids that were too ashamed to pick up their free school dinners because everyone would know they were poor. The kids that did usually got a bit of stick.

The same could be said about the way they dress and if they can afford to go on the school trip or not.

Children can be a bit vicious at times.

LadyMorticia

I remember when I was at primary and secondary school my mum got a bursary for my school uniform as she was on income support at the time. I'm not sure if a lot of schools still do them though as this was 10 years ago.

xx

calleyw

Elle83 wrote: »

You could try applying to the social fund for specialist school equipment / uniform though as it's not standard to have to spend £20 on aprons with logos on! Say your son not having them might lead to bullying etc.

But if enough parents went to the head and said we are not paying this for these items then the school would have to change.

We never had logos on anything when we went to school. It was standard white/grey shirt, maroon jumper :eek:, black or grey trousers. The thing you had to get from the special shop was a tie.

PE kit was easy as it was white or maroon. Aprons where plain cotton ones.

Yours


Calley

bonnie_2

When my dd started secondary school last year, i had to pay £200 out on uniform for essentials and she only had one of each item. Everything had to come from the school shop or the kids got detention and sent home. I also had to pay £15 for a locker. I didn't send her to mersea island, as it was £90 overnight camping, so she went in another class for the two days, but other trips have cost walsingham £21, canvey island, £18, panto £10, bowling £6.50 and the cinema was a fiver.
If you are on income support you don't have to pay for school trips.

SuziQ

I do agree with mspig that it's different at secondary school,but you do have ample warning of the costs (I was told at the school view evening of uniform needs and costs at every school we viewed) I therefore put money away in advance to save up for all the secondary equipment-which included a certain calculator and certain books we had to purchase. We also got stung for the locker charge-compounded by him losing his locker key on his very first day,so had to pay another £5 for a replacement:rolleyes: Having got stung with my daughter 5 years earlier whan I had to find over a hundred quid very quickly I vowed to be better prepared when Matt went to secondary!

bridtown

mitchaa
thanks for your rude comment before but some people like myself have been left in a lot of dept with the ex walking out and money management is so so hard with the credit crunch on us with british gas banging there prices up another 30% thin gs are just hard i am living off my credit card at the same time giving my kids what they deserve in life

school uniforms cost a arm and a leg when school trips as well my children just won't eat school dinners as i carn't blame them it's s**t and won't give to my dog you just don't have the money to pay for them hand downs would be brill but i have a boy and a girl and that just carn't happen

So thanks for every 1's replys i will try to but into good use and will contact CAB and see if they can help

mitchaa

Again i think you will have to take a step back before you jump the gun and blame me for been a bad father before you know the reasons why people carn't affored things for there kids my ex pays nothing to me the only money i get is state benefit that don't go anywhere when i have to top up rent £150 a month before i do anything.

thanks again every 1 for ya replys