Free Computer & Internet Access for Children aged 7-14 of Low Income Families

kizzykizzywizzy

isabel.h wrote: »

What a shame I had to go to work to get the kids a computer

Lets hope you never find yourself in the situation some of us are in then!!

I didn't choose to have my husband cheat on me after 21 years & leave me with 2 kids & be on income support

No need for nasty comments, i'm absolutely sick of people trying to make me a lesser person, because my situation has changed.

I have a mortgage - I paid 20k of debt off by scrimping & scraping I always worked before kids, but as 1st baby died - felt I couldn't leave my baby with anyone, so just husband worked ( which is when debt was run up ), I was working when husband left me, but due to health problems had to give it up, this is only half of the story - so before you get on your high horse, just hope that nothing like that happens to you - it only takes your husband to leave or for you to lose your job & you may find yourself in the same place with people that don't know you, judging you too.
Lovely next post too Marshallka, so my kids are ashamed of me now are they???
Oh to be so perfect.................
I thought this site said be nice to Moneysavers - I cannot believe the way people on benefits are stereotyped on here - it seems to be getting worse

marshallka

kizzykizzywizzy wrote: »

Lovely next post too Marshallka, so my kids are ashamed of me now are they???
Oh to be so perfect.................
I thought this site said be nice to Moneysavers - I cannot believe the way people on benefits are stereotyped on here - it seems to be getting worse

You have taken what i said in my post as if i was aiming it at you. And for the record i was also left with a 3 year old when my husband DIED so i do know what it is like and i had my house repossessed also so I have lived life a little:rolleyes:.

I don't need to go into my life story for you or anyone else but if you read the whole of my post then i said it was actually a good scheme for those that actually DO need the vouchers. I felt sorry for my two friends who work a little and cannot afford to get their kids a "new" laptop (like i could not afford for my 13 year old either) but they still are on a low income.

Surely if you give a damn about anyone in a situation like yourself (there are plenty) then you would sympathise ALSO with the single parents or couples that are doing what they can but still could not afford (LOW INCOME WORKING FAMILIES) to buy their kids laptops as their essential outgoings take up all their money. DO you really think that is fair????

lawrie28

Calm down everyone!

I think the govt cash could have been spent better by giving people a £30 p month contract for net access with a free laptop! less cash spent up front etc.

Yes it is frustrating when you don;t qualify for whatever reason, but these are the rules.

Llike living in wales, you don;t get a free laptop, but you won;t be complaining when you get your prescription for free.

And in scotland, you don;t get the laptop, but when you r lad is old enough, he can go to uni without paying thousands in tuition fees.

we all know lifes hard, lets just help each other out a bit


Now, group hug everyone!

marshallka

lawrie28 wrote: »

Calm down everyone!

I think the govt cash could have been spent better by giving people a £30 p month contract for net access with a free laptop! less cash spent up front etc.

Yes it is frustrating when you don;t qualify for whatever reason, but these are the rules.

Llike living in wales, you don;t get a free laptop, but you won;t be complaining when you get your prescription for free.

And in scotland, you don;t get the laptop, but when you r lad is old enough, he can go to uni without paying thousands in tuition fees.

we all know lifes hard, lets just help each other out a bit


Now, group hug everyone!

Blimey, didn't know half of what you have posted on your post. Don't get me started....lol;)

kizzykizzywizzy

You also said that that children who had working parents must be proud, as though those without would be ashamed of thiers.
I didn't think the post was just aimed at just me, but as usual, when anyone who is down on thier luck has any chance of a bit of happiness or something good happening to them they are made to feel bad about it.
I will admit i am a bit sensitive at the moment as my Nana died on Tuesday & thats the 4th death in less than 3 years, just please can people allow others less fortunate than themselves to have something nice once in a while - without begrudging it.
Hopefully if the kids do get this laptop/pc, it will help thier education, that's the most important thing surely!!!!!!

I know i'd rather be happily married, both working ( as we were ) & paying for a laptop
I'm not going to get into a slanging match about things, just would like people on this forum to treat each other with a bit of respect, whatever thier circumstances & be kind & nice to each other, lifes hard enough without nastiness

Zziggi

Does anyone know how much you get to spend for each fo the 3 levels?

• computer & internet

• computer

• internet

Also if you apply for computer & internet but then decide to pay for the internet yourself, can you spend the "extra" on a better computer?

P.S. i ask because internet is via a dongle which will be poor connection where we live.

marshallka

kizzykizzywizzy wrote: »

You also said that that children who had working parents must be proud, as though those without would be ashamed of thiers.
I didn't think the post was just aimed at just me, but as usual, when anyone who is down on thier luck has any chance of a bit of happiness or something good happening to them they are made to feel bad about it.
I will admit i am a bit sensitive at the moment as my Nana died on Tuesday & thats the 4th death in less than 3 years, just please can people allow others less fortunate than themselves to have something nice once in a while - without begrudging it.
Hopefully if the kids do get this laptop/pc, it will help thier education, that's the most important thing surely!!!!!!

I know i'd rather be happily married, both working ( as we were ) & paying for a laptop
I'm not going to get into a slanging match about things, just would like people on this forum to treat each other with a bit of respect, whatever thier circumstances & be kind & nice to each other, lifes hard enough without nastiness

I do stand by what i said about parents that work a little (if only a few hours a week) must have kids that are proud of them. What is so wrong in that? What i did not say was that kids of parents that do not work a little must be ashamed of theirs.

I know that my daughter asked for a laptop for christmas (I did say it in a post BEFORE this news came about) and I had to say "no" as we have a large mortgage now and I myself am not working at the moment although my hubby is. Its still hard for us all during the credit crunch. ALL our spare income goes on bills and upkeep just like yourself and WE as a working family cannot afford one for our daughter. SHe has got one off ebay that we have just bought bits and pieces for actually and is very happy with but certainly not at a cost of £500. I do think you should be happy if you can get one and certainly not firing at those that cannot get one. If that were me (me being me) I would have feeling for those that are working 16 hours (so get working tax credits) but still only have a small income and cannot get one. Don't you see where I am coming from. I worked when i was on my own so I would not have been entitled but i certainly know that i would not have been able to just hand my son £500 for a computer, working or not. In fact i would have felt guilty perhaps for him missing out.

I am sorry that you do not like what I posted but I feel sorry for the ones that are single (like yourself) and working a cleaning job or something (Just to pay the essential bills) but because they work a little they are being penalised from being able to get an "essential laptop"for THEIR kids. Does that make them the scum or the earth and neglecting their kids needs and slowing them down in education. (remember the government are saying these computers/laptops are now essentials for a childs wellbeing or likes of).

I am not against anyone getting something for nothing and certainly do not begrudge the needy but I was saying how unfair it is to some, that was all. And it was not myself i was feeling sorry for either. It was single parents like my two friends that work 16 hours a week (cleaning and on minimum wage) and certainly can not afford to fork out for a laptop or computer for their kids. We all want the BEST for our kids don't we? There was no malice in my post at all. If there was malice then i would be saying about the tax payer paying for all of it etc etc etc.. I did not and will not. I was just putting in my penny's worth for "other single working parents" on low incomes. Sometimes we just assume because someone is working they ARE better off when in fact they are not.

These forums are for discussions about things and in discussions not everyone will agree. That is life and sometimes some will take offence. I am sorry that you have taken offence to my post but I was certainly not being "nasty". I was purely put in a defence for people like my friends. Sorry if I offended you.

sarahf191979

fazeypie wrote: »

does anyone know if you could use this to place an online order? A lot of companies do better deals online so you'd get a bit more for the money or be able to spend less so that any leftover money can go back into the fund for others.

You could use it online, but you are reatricted to certain shops, or I certainly was as there are only certain retailers who are taking part in the scheme.

sarahf191979

scurr wrote: »

I know! Am gutted! Especially as it's so much money! £600 for a netbook and internet access? Pretty generous. How many extra teachers could this money have paid for? Or even after-school computer clubs?

I agree it is a lots of money, but the shops that took part in the scheme priced the laptops to match the grants, so they are the greedy ones, like I said earlier my son Toshiba was priced at £549, and when I looked online I could have got it else where for £300, so the goverment are paying over the odds and the companies taking part in the scheme are being greedy and hiking up the prices. You can only use the card once regardless of how much you spend on it, and the card is to prevent people from applying for the grant and spending it on something else, I agree that this money could be better used paying for more teachers and other things but at the same time anyone who isn't working for whatever reason who has a CHILD who qualifies should take part, this scheme is not about the parents who can or cannot be bothered to go out to work, its about giving children a good start in education and access to a computer that they may other wise not have.

sarahf191979

marshallka wrote: »

It does seem a tad unfair as i know of two single parents working over 16 hours a week but still struggling and they are NOT eligible for these.

I know what you mean, it is very unfair, they should have taken this into account, when they ran the scheme last year in oldham I had 3 friends in the same position who didn't qualify, the goverment has got this grant scheme all wrong and that was the whole idea of the trails, things may have changed in other areas but they don't seem to have got the eligibilty(sp?) sorted and more fair.