Schools charging & people on benefits!

shellsuit

merlin68 wrote: »

I am on income support and get no help with school trips. Just had to pay £150 for 4 days in suffolk, £4 for a day trip, £15 for a trip to the olympic site in october. About £5 a week in cookery ingredients. I try and save £10 a week for school expenses.

You didn't have to pay the £150 for that trip though did you.

You chose to let your child go, it isn't compulsary.

bugbabe1970

Mupette wrote: »

I just had to shell out a fortune for my son to do French exchange, and wow the amount of money i needed to entertain them both and take them places.

I felt very out of place against the other parents who were all working, who all looked down at me, because i was on benefits, i really wanted to shout out yes i am a single parent, and on benefits but i'm disabled not lazy.

Everyone got invited to each others places for bbq's etc, except us.

£500 a week i figured you would need for the entertaining. Including food, petrol, entrance fee's

Son is on free school dinners, would the school help with the French student, would they hell, even though they have a fund, it was down to the kind hearts of the commity who ran the exchange who gave me money for the bus and dinners for school.

School uniform can only be bought from the most expensive department store, or if you want to go fair trade double the price.

Then you got the thieving toe rags that have stolen my son's school bag, pe kit, etc... who has to replace it... me

I am really sorry of I am misunderstanding you, but is this a wind up??
If you coiudnt afford for your son to take part in the French exchange then you could have said no!!

My DH and I both work full time and earn a decent wage but we couldn't afford to pay for son to go on his schools foreign holiday this years as we have 2 other children to take into consideration. We explained why and he accepted it, even though a lot of his friends were going.

School uniforms aren't that expensive any more and most of the basics can be bought in Tesco, cheap as chips.

A nutritious packed lunch can cost less than £2 a day!

So what are you all saying? you cant afford to send your kids to school? amazing!

onlyroz

merlin68 wrote: »

Just had to pay £150 for 4 days in suffolk, £4 for a day trip, £15 for a trip to the olympic site in october.

Did you *have* to? Or could you have chosen to not let your child go? Because £150 for 4 days holiday sounds like a bargain to me...

bestpud

I know it can be hard when schools suddenly hit us with loads or requests but tbh this is the way it goes year in year out.

There is a large age gap between my children and different schools too, but it is/was the same for them all.

We know it happens so it is up to us to budget for it - simple as. If we can't/won't budget for extras then we need to explain why to our children. It's not right that other children go without because some of us have different priorities.

I've been on a mixture of benefits, disability benefits, low income and not so low income over the time my children have been at school and not once have I had to tell the school I can't pay for a trip.

I've also struggled on time to buy school uniform and shoes, but they've always had it.

However, I have said no to holidays and other expensive things and I've also said no to fund raising events/activities if I'm not happy with the cause. I choose to spend my money on other things so that's how it is.

It's all about managing money and there will be high earners with no more disposable income then those on benefits - that's life!

Seems a bit of a cop out to blame the school for organising extra activities when the responsibility lies with us.

jamespir

we nevere had half the school trips kids do thee days its shocking

LJM

alot of the school trips are educational ive been on a few and they are interesting and you would see if you went that children do learn more by being up and active doing something whilst learning rather than being stuck behind a desk all day copying things off the blackboard. if the schools didnt ask parents for money towards trips then it would come out of the budget they get each year for every child which would then in tern mean that there other in class work could suffer as they wouldnt be able to afford the facilities and eqiuptment needed to teach them properly. and can i say this isnt the schools fault its the fault of the goverment

SingleSue

It can be incredibly stressful, especially if you have more than one child.

I am a divorced mother of 3 children and we rely on benefits due to the children having disabilities which makes working nigh on impossible. The pressure to pay out for all the extras is enormous and provides a huge guilt trip when it just isn't possible.

Any extra money we have, goes to travel for hospital appointments plus parking whilst there (5 this week), therapies, special foods and replacement items due to the disabilities..there is no spare cash for any extras.

It was one very big headache when the uniform changed at youngest and middle sons' school in September, out went the items you could buy anywhere and in came expensive branded items which could only be purchased in one particular shop. A grant was allowed, of £15, which didn't even cover a pair of trousers, let alone the £40 blazer, the £10 socks etc etc...and times two!

For their activities week, we had to choose the cheapest activities on the list and not the ones the boys really wanted to do. As it was, youngest got the very cheapest but middle one wasn't so lucky and got the third cheapest...there are no discretionary payments available.

My heart sinks when they come home with a letter that is asking for money....but I usually find some way to pay for it so that they don't miss out, even if it means robbing Peter to pay Paul for the next few weeks.

I know it is not only those solely on benefits that suffer this way either, low income families also have a struggle...and low income does not always mean low ambition, low education etc, especially now with the economy being as it is.

bugbabe1970

SingleSue,

I really feel for you and totally understand where you are coming from. Although we have a good income now, when my 3 children were young my DH wasn't working and I worked part time. I remember the guilt and anxiety of not being able to afford treats for my children. Its heartbreaking. But I really think there is a difference in finding the money for children to attend day trips in school and buying uniform and food for their lunches, compared to complaining about paying £500 for school exchanges and £150 for school holidays. My children have never been on these and I explain to them that if they did then the other children would have to miss out and i compensate by doing something nice as a family instead.

[Deleted User]

Memory_Girl wrote: »

On benefits - not through choice though and heading back to work soon thankfully .

I'm brilliant at managing my money - but I'll be honest. My child Tax Credits are spent on luxuries for my children - LIKE FOOD!!!! Like essential petrol to get him school -too far to walk both kids along roads with no pavemement but car is ONLY used for school runs. Like "essential" clothing to keep them wind and water tight. Ther is no LUXURIES contingency inthe tax Credit system just for basics.

We have no spare income for activities at the moment - and if either of them need new shoes before the end of term I am scuppered because there is no excess in the budget.

I am now resolved to telling the school "No, my kids can't do that" because there are no funds - at least my nine year old recognises this is not forever and things will get better.

I'll get off my soap box now

Memorygirl

Memorygirl THANK YOU x x x x I get so sick of hearing people are on benefits due to choice.., and benefits are generous etc etc lol with quotes of the infamous neighbour who is living a champagne and caviar lifestyle on £120 per week with two children lol.

[Deleted User]

We are not talking about once a year/term trips to the zoo that u are told about months in advance.., we are talking about silly things like trips to the Bullring with fares needing to be paid, lunch paid for and money to buy something so the child can review a shop's customer services.., and trip the the bowling alley for ICT.., with 3 days notice to find an extra sum of money. If u are on a low income of whatever sort.., and budgeting carefully.., it can be very difficult to find these sums of money at such short notice.

And as I pointed out in my first post.., the value of these trips plus the time taken out of school to make them, has to be questioned in my opinion. But as a parent, u don't want your child to be made to feel like the poor relation or different so you DO pay out for them. But it causes quite a few problems and usually mean food has to be cut back on (for which I shop at the cheapest available shops anyway.., so there's nothing to spare).

And thanks for the suggestion that people on low income go out etc. I actually haven't been out even once for well over two years, the family hasn't been on holiday in many years, not even a day trip. BECAUSE WE ARE ON A LOW INCOME. We don't buy alchohol.., we don't waste any money. And I have to be a SAHM because I have a 4 year old with limited access to nurseries.., and my older son has ASD and walks out of school highly distressed so I have to be home right now. Then there's the days he refuses school because someone has been bullying him. I am NOT asking anyone to feel sorry for families on low incomes.., we are happy and make the absolute best of what we have and I give my children the best life I can.., but don't make assumptions either please because one person in one street seems to be taking the mick of the benefits system.., there are 200 other families who aren't.