Are free school meals going to be included in benefits cap?

DorsetGirl_2

Maybe the government should think about subsidising childcare rather than handing out great payments then.

9 years ago when I worked FT I paid £115 a week in Nursery Fees, for 1 child. We live in the Midlands so not an expensive area.

Affordable childcare is the main barrier for many people wanting to go back to work and it shouldnt be the case.

samwich1979

I am the sole earner in our house, i work 3 and a half days a week and pay all the rent, bills and feed my family( myself, husband and 9 month old son).
We do just about manage but run out of money by the last week of each month. I make sure my son is fed and clothed but i NEVER get to buy myself clothes, shoes and all those nice luxuries, i just dont have the money to do it, my husband also has to do without too. Cant remember the last time i updated my wardrobe! im still wearing exactly the same clothes i was 2 years ago and i feel terrible about it but i have no choice.

I get £2.00 a month Housing Benefit and Child Benefit and that is it.

My husband wants to work desperately but the job market here is so rubbish and he would need to fit in around my job which is hard due to their demands on me to cover certain shifts and over running into my own time, something im trying to sort out.

But we manage, granted we would love to have extra money but we understand why we dont and live with it.

Too many people in this country dont take responsibility for their life choices and their children, it should be down to us to do what we can to make sure we can live not the goverment and tax payers.

Sixer

samwich1979 wrote: »

I am the sole earner in our house, i work 3 and a half days a week and pay all the rent, bills and feed my family( myself, husband and 9 month old son).
We do just about manage but run out of money by the last week of each month. I make sure my son is fed and clothed but i NEVER get to buy myself clothes, shoes and all those nice luxuries, i just dont have the money to do it, my husband also has to do without too. Cant remember the last time i updated my wardrobe! im still wearing exactly the same clothes i was 2 years ago and i feel terrible about it but i have no choice.

I get £2.00 a month Housing Benefit and Child Benefit and that is it.

My husband wants to work desperately but the job market here is so rubbish and he would need to fit in around my job which is hard due to their demands on me to cover certain shifts and over running into my own time, something im trying to sort out.

But we manage, granted we would love to have extra money but we understand why we dont and live with it.

Too many people in this country dont take responsibility for their life choices and their children, it should be down to us to do what we can to make sure we can live not the goverment and tax payers.

You should put in a claim for Child Tax Credit. If you're entitled to LHA, you'd almost certainly qualify for some CTC.

GobbledyGook

DorsetGirl wrote: »

Maybe the government should think about subsidising childcare rather than handing out great payments then.

9 years ago when I worked FT I paid £115 a week in Nursery Fees, for 1 child. We live in the Midlands so not an expensive area.

Affordable childcare is the main barrier for many people wanting to go back to work and it shouldnt be the case.

That was/is the point of the childcare part of tax credits. They just didn't see the price hike.

I think they should go further than that and have government/council run nurseries.

Creates jobs, brings any tax credit type payments back into the coffers and would do a great job in levelling out childcare prices and that is before you even think about potential profits.

MissMoneypenny

DorsetGirl wrote: »

Maybe the government should think about subsidising childcare rather than handing out great payments then.

Or maybe parents should think about how they will be able to keep any children they may have, without asking other familes to pay for their children and childcare?

bored_at_home

when we were kids my mum stayed home all week with us while dad worked full time, then she did sat and sun night nightshift as a nurse which paid for all the extra we had eg dancing classes, horse riding, for her to have a car, and CB only got touched when we were all due new shoes. dad took us to see the grandparents every sunday so mum got to sleep. worked fine for them.

dave030445

samwich1979 wrote: »

I am the sole earner in our house, i work 3 and a half days a week and pay all the rent, bills and feed my family( myself, husband and 9 month old son).
We do just about manage but run out of money by the last week of each month. I make sure my son is fed and clothed but i NEVER get to buy myself clothes, shoes and all those nice luxuries, i just dont have the money to do it, my husband also has to do without too. Cant remember the last time i updated my wardrobe! im still wearing exactly the same clothes i was 2 years ago and i feel terrible about it but i have no choice.

I get £2.00 a month Housing Benefit and Child Benefit and that is it.

My husband wants to work desperately but the job market here is so rubbish and he would need to fit in around my job which is hard due to their demands on me to cover certain shifts and over running into my own time, something im trying to sort out.

But we manage, granted we would love to have extra money but we understand why we dont and live with it.

Too many people in this country dont take responsibility for their life choices and their children, it should be down to us to do what we can to make sure we can live not the goverment and tax payers.

Seems that the company you work for are quite busy cant you work 5 days a week then you would have a little over each week to treat your hubby. or yourself

firesidemaid

Prinzessilein wrote: »

Thirdly, I would employ dinner ladies - not just to cook the food but to patrol the dining area. They would have the remit to ensure that the meal was eaten, not played with. They would also ensure that the meal was eaten decently - using cutlery!

This is how I remember school dinners. One healthy, cooked meal that everyone ate. No complaints about 'but I don't like that!'...no option of pizza, nuggets of undefined by-products of the meat industry. or chips...just good wholesome food.

That was how our school dinners were at primary school. One meal a day - made from scratch - and a pudding and we just ate it (and enjoyed it and were allowed seconds occasionally).

scotty1971

i thought children could only get free school meals if none of the parents were working,and recieving child tax credit but not working tax credit i'm sure thats what it says on the forms up here in scotland,at least with my regional council.

scott

jackieb

FBaby wrote: »

Let's see....
Take home salary £2,000
Mortgage (3 bed-semi SE) £800
Car (to go to work) £250 (include loan, repairs, MOT, etc...)
Petrol £200
various insurance £100
Food for 5 £200
School diners/trips/clothes/shoes x 3 kids £150
CT: £120
Gas and electricity/water: £120

Add CB you spend 1 or 2 activities per kid per month...

Oh dear, there's nothing left..... and that's already with a decent salary...

Yep, it was easy in the 50s, when mortgage were peanuts compared to what they are now...

How many people in the 50s could afford cars or a mortgage though?

I agree with you that there's usually too much month left at the end of the money, but I wouldn't say it was easy in the 50s. My parents lived with my grandparents for about 2 years after they were married, then they got a prefab once my brother was born. My Dad had never been out of work, from the age of 14 until he retired at 65 - but they couldn't afford to buy a house for £2000.