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MSE News: Home Access Grants Ending

2

Comments

  • Percy1983
    Percy1983 Posts: 5,244 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Just to break down my costs to gain internet access:

    Computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse. £60

    Internet access, Talk Talk, phone and broadband £20 per month (Will argue I would pay the phone line anyway so call it £10 extra rounding up).

    So one year is £180...

    Yes the PC mentioned above isn't amazing, but it is more than what is needed for internet access for education (3.00ghz HT P4, 512mb ram, 60gb storage).

    Now yes people may stuggle for room so a refurbed desktop pc may not be suited but you can get refurbed laptops to around the above spec for £150, why can't these be used?

    Yet again a pair who work might not be able to afford broadband and a £328 laptop for there child, but the child next door gets that because mum doesn't know who the dad is and doesn't work...
    Have my first business premises (+4th business) 01/11/2017
    Quit day job to run 3 businesses 08/02/2017
    Started third business 25/06/2016
    Son born 13/09/2015
    Started a second business 03/08/2013
    Officially the owner of my own business since 13/01/2012
  • Snakeeyes21
    Snakeeyes21 Posts: 2,527 Forumite
    Percy1983 wrote: »
    Just to break down my costs to gain internet access:

    Computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse. £60

    Internet access, Talk Talk, phone and broadband £20 per month (Will argue I would pay the phone line anyway so call it £10 extra rounding up).

    So one year is £180...

    Yes the PC mentioned above isn't amazing, but it is more than what is needed for internet access for education (3.00ghz HT P4, 512mb ram, 60gb storage).

    Now yes people may stuggle for room so a refurbed desktop pc may not be suited but you can get refurbed laptops to around the above spec for £150, why can't these be used?

    Yet again a pair who work might not be able to afford broadband and a £328 laptop for there child, but the child next door gets that because mum doesn't know who the dad is and doesn't work...

    Quite, I bought a very nice refurb emachine E520 for £170 for my younger brother when he 'needed' one and my mum couldnt afford it, its more than capable for what he needed, I would go as far to say its more than enough for what any average user would need. It was pretty much new, just a returned order that had a spot of tipex on the bottom, couple that with a £15pm dongle for him and he was over the moon
  • Hsl500
    Hsl500 Posts: 1,039 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 16 June 2010 at 4:30PM
    im sorry but i dont agree i know plenty of people who have these free laptops ( we cant qualify even though have 5 kids as tax credits are that little bit too high)
    What annoys me most is that a they take the whole family into consideration our tax credits are high because we have 2 on DLA who are registered special needs , so cause of that our tax credits go up that bit higher meaning for sake of that little bit extra we miss out on things like this , prescriptions are another one , rather have the lower tax credit so can get the extras if honest.
    I have 5 boys and we have 1 main pc between us all, I would love to be able to get them a laptop, but we also have to pay full rent, council tax ect there dad works all hours so we have what we do have and If honest I find it annoying that the single mums i know who smoke weed most of em, ( no offence meant there but if can afford that) can get these things and even invite me round to theres were they show off the new laptop they got or pc and sit off playing games or bingo is another one< facebook another.
    Im all for if they really nee it for school then the schools should have a scheme pay £5 a week or something to loan one so the kids wouldnt miss out but to just give the away which seems doing as so many esp round here have them and like to show off with them is just wrong and if that can save the goverment money and save other cuts then I say go for it .
    I know prob offend some people with this post but how I feel sorry
    x


    Thanks to this site saved over £300
  • Coopdivi
    Coopdivi Posts: 3,412 Forumite
    Percy1983 wrote: »
    No I used my computer which cost a lot less than £528.

    So if you've already got a computer why are you whinging about not being able to afford a laptop?
  • Coopdivi
    Coopdivi Posts: 3,412 Forumite
    I can never understand people who come on a money saving site then complain about people saving money.

    Still I suppose it makes a change from moaning about immigrants.
  • Hsl500
    Hsl500 Posts: 1,039 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Coopdivi wrote: »
    I can never understand people who come on a money saving site then complain about people saving money.

    Still I suppose it makes a change from moaning about immigrants.

    Your so right but what about our money
    it's our taxes that are paying for them
    why should we be the ones who struggle as work and
    earn a honest living against those who don't do anything
    why do they deserve to be handed it all on a plate.
    I've never worked as a full time mum and carer but that's my choice, I've only ever claimed ica as I have special needs sons
    we survive and always have on my husbands wages on a basic wage and recently tax credits
    I know there are needy cases and it'd not them I'm moaning about it's the ones who get it all for nothing and why should they?


    Thanks to this site saved over £300
  • I was one of those parents who were lucky enough to get the grant for my 10 year old son. Included was the internet access for a year. Recently, he has been having issues connecting to the internet. I called home access, and the data allowance has been dramatically cut by the new government. They also said that the entire scheme had been scapped, again by the new government. So to all of those of you who try to claim, go ahead, but be prepared to be dissappointed!! Unless the guy on the end of the phone was telling porkies, its not happening.
    for the record, It really is an educational pc. everything is already installed. No social websites etc etc. but for kids like mine who has there maths homework given to him online?? Not in a book like i used to have.
    As to all those of you who think that myself and many others like me are the complete scum of the earth, then carry on thinking that. Everyone in life has problems at one time or another. Its fair to say that some people simply cant be bothered to get a job and are quite happy to carry on claiming.
    As for me and my kids......I have always worked.....until there dad died suddenly last year
  • Percy1983
    Percy1983 Posts: 5,244 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    As said above, I would have more money if less of the tax I pay went to schemes like and the many other 'reward for nothing' schemes labour setup.

    As mentioned you can get a resonable deskop PC for about £80 all in, if I really couldn't afford a computer and somebody gave me that I would be happy, but instead they get a £300+ laptop many people who do work can't afford to buy.
    Have my first business premises (+4th business) 01/11/2017
    Quit day job to run 3 businesses 08/02/2017
    Started third business 25/06/2016
    Son born 13/09/2015
    Started a second business 03/08/2013
    Officially the owner of my own business since 13/01/2012
  • Hsl500
    Hsl500 Posts: 1,039 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    moleyoneuk wrote: »
    I was one of those parents who were lucky enough to get the grant for my 10 year old son. Included was the internet access for a year. Recently, he has been having issues connecting to the internet. I called home access, and the data allowance has been dramatically cut by the new government. They also said that the entire scheme had been scapped, again by the new government. So to all of those of you who try to claim, go ahead, but be prepared to be dissappointed!! Unless the guy on the end of the phone was telling porkies, its not happening.
    for the record, It really is an educational pc. everything is already installed. No social websites etc etc. but for kids like mine who has there maths homework given to him online?? Not in a book like i used to have.
    As to all those of you who think that myself and many others like me are the complete scum of the earth, then carry on thinking that. Everyone in life has problems at one time or another. Its fair to say that some people simply cant be bothered to get a job and are quite happy to carry on claiming.
    As for me and my kids......I have always worked.....until there dad died suddenly last year


    Im sorry to hear of your loss, like I said in my baove post some people yourself one of them do need these schemes and Im all for that its the ones who take everything anf give nothing back Im on about
    xx


    Thanks to this site saved over £300
  • andyfrank
    andyfrank Posts: 138 Forumite
    Percy1983 wrote: »
    Just to break down my costs to gain internet access:

    Computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse. £60

    Internet access, Talk Talk, phone and broadband £20 per month (Will argue I would pay the phone line anyway so call it £10 extra rounding up).

    So one year is £180...

    Yes the PC mentioned above isn't amazing, but it is more than what is needed for internet access for education (3.00ghz HT P4, 512mb ram, 60gb storage).

    Now yes people may stuggle for room so a refurbed desktop pc may not be suited but you can get refurbed laptops to around the above spec for £150, why can't these be used?

    Yet again a pair who work might not be able to afford broadband and a £328 laptop for there child, but the child next door gets that because mum doesn't know who the dad is and doesn't work...


    1 word to say to you sunshine !!! sour grapes
    NOT all familes or single mothers are chavs , i myself have worked from day i left school , mostly self employed however 10 years ago the steel errecting industry dried up around here , ao i took a day to day job in a factory .... due to the current reccession i have been out of work for 12 months , im not a chav im not a single dad and my wife is certainly no single mother who dont know who the daddy is !!! yes we qualified for one but £528 was not a lot really when you add up 30 years of income tax that i paid as luck happened i have now started back to work , and the tax i will be payin alone in a month will pay back what bit the gov have given me for a laptop , so before you insult , and try and put innocent folk down i would get on that pc you do have and get into the real world ..and see it for what it is ...and take off those rose tinted glasses !!!
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