Free School Meals

Fran

ravenlooney wrote:

I know im jumping in here rather late, but we have been working this one out lately as both hubby and I are unemployed at the mo. Im really sick of being on the dole and would like to work but theres no way I can afford to. Taking into account JSA, childs tax credit, free school meals, clothing grant for kids at school, housing benefit, council tax benefit not to mention free prescriptions and eye tests, we would need to bring in a yearly salary of £15000 AFTER tax and nat ins. And thats not counting the cost of travel to work and work clothes. Im not proud at all of the fact that everyone else who pays tax is paying to keep my family, but its the only way we can do it. My hubby was offered a job at 13000k and we worked it out and even with WFTC & CTC we were still much worse off :-(

As for the free school meals, it really isnt fair that people on a low income cant get them, only those on IS, JSA etc.

Some people on low income can get prescriptions, see HERE

Not many authorities (I believe) give grants towards school clothing now - you must be one of the lucky ones.

Did you get a Citizens Advice Bureau or Welfare Benefits adviser to work out this for you or do it yourself (it's always a good idea to get it checked by a specialist and doesn't cost you anything)?

ravenlooney

Fran wrote:

Did you get a Citizens Advice Bureau or Welfare Benefits adviser to work out this for you or do it yourself (it's always a good idea to get it checked by a specialist and doesn't cost you anything)?

We worked it out ourselves using the tax credit website. Im sure we got the calculations correct. I think I will go to the benefits advisor to see if I missed anything out. Lets hope I did and it turns out i'd be much better off working!!

one-non-blonde

ravenlooney wrote:

We worked it out ourselves using the tax credit website. Im sure we got the calculations correct. I think I will go to the benefits advisor to see if I missed anything out. Lets hope I did and it turns out i'd be much better off working!!

I've used this to check my tax credit calcs before and the answer it produces never bore any resemblance to what the IR calculated (using the exact info I put on the form to them). I think the figure I came up with was significantly lower than what I was awarded so well worth getting it checked out properly.

SammyPops

tk wrote:

well as one who you describe above i take offense!

Sorry that you took offense at my comments.

I have no problem with people who are in genuine need of benefits because they are ill or have other problems which mean they can't work.

I meant I am fit and able to work, so I go out and work as I feel guilty about sitting at home and letting the state support me when there is no reason why I can't work. However if you add up all the Income Support, Housing Benefits and associated payments, I'd actually be better off claiming benefits than the low income I get from working. It's that fact which I think is mad.

After essential housing costs, utility bills, council tax etc., I am left with £50-60 a week. This is all I have to feed 2 children and myself, buy clothing, transport costs and all the other bits and bobs that add up over the week. It isn't much and I really struggle sometimes to survive on that, especially at Christmas and birthday times.

My ex-husband left me over 3 years ago now. In that time we have never had a holiday, I've had very few new clothes or shoes, and I only had 2 social evenings out last year with friends. I fully understand where you are coming from regards your living expenses, and my post was not meant to attack or offend you in anyway. Apologies if it sounded like I was.

crana999

it seems especially unfair as some people on benefits would have more time available than those who were working, if both were on the same income, to spend more time shopping around, cooking from scratch, walking further to cheaper shops if you dont have a car, etc.

Spendless

Bump - in case Sarahsaver needs to look at criteria for free school meals

Angela

sunflower wrote:

by the way - i dont think i would want to put my child through having free school meals anyway - especially in the school he is in (most parents are quite well off)

my son would ask why he didnt have to take his lunch money in... and as a person who received free school meals as a child, its an awful position to be in
kids can be so cruel - i used to dread mondays and every lunchtime at senior school

I agree my mum could have applied for free meals for me as my father had died,but she didnt as she had free breakfast(a long time ago lol)and lunch at school and she knew how embarrasing it was and didnt want to put me through it.I was really glad she didnt put me through it.As those children were prone to teasing or bullying.

Spendless

If anyone is concerned about the kids being teased about having free school dinners and questioning why they don't send money into school each week, it might be worth checking how your school collects dinner money.

I pay for school dinners and put an envelope in a tray left in classroom each Monday, so i don't see who has and hasn't handed in dinner money.

On a couple of occassions i've left the money at home and had to walk back to school and hand the money to the secretary. Some parents pay for a month up front directly to the secretary in her office.

bright_side

The children at my sons school used to have to take a named purse/wallet with dinner money in it each day. My son couldn't grasp why we didn't have to pay for school dinners and fretted about not taking anything in with him. In the end I just sent him with an empty named wallet which he'd put in the basket each morning and then have it returned at the end of the day. The school never questioned this which I thought was very good of them!

Poppy9

In primary school I pay for school lunches for a term in advance so there is no need to send money in every week. Schools prefer parents to prepay as they get fed up with chasing up payments for previous weeks.

Different system in comps though as free school meals are given a voucher to the value of £x. Then other kids notice. A lot depends on the area though. In some schools they have 90% on fsm - stigmatised if you pay

Sammypops - good for you. The IR site is not accurate in working out WTC & CTC. I just get the basic allowance and it got that wrong !