Free School Meals Cut

[Kromovaracun]

http://www.theweek.co.uk/92272/children-to-go-hungry-after-free-school-meals-cuts

English families on Universal Credit have had their income threshold for free school meals cut.

Families in Northern Ireland have, notably, been exempt from the legislation: goo.gl/yxLWyp

Good idea?

[douglas9401]

Just shows how things are going to hell in a hand cart.
Only a few short years ago any family would have been content with a 40" TV, now, according to our social affairs expert it's 60".
I arsk ya, where will it all end? Gorblimey, etc.

[murraymints]

TTT ..you are over generalising again.... do not beleive all the hype you see or read... I could tell you many many many stories of the hardships my clients have faced in the past..that is very real....

[ToraToraTora]

minty, you forget, I come from a dole dossing family, I know what goes on.

[Bigbad]

The jobs are there, though, murraymints.
I don’t for one minute think that everybody on benefits is a scrounger, but there are plenty that are.
We are constantly being told that there will be nobody to pick fruit and vegetables after brexit, and employers are constantly using the excuse “the British won’t do the jobs.” (There was one on last weeks Panorama immigration programme).
The obvious answer to me is make these long term, feckless, lazy, spongers do these jobs, and if they refuse, withdraw their dole money.
As far as free school meals go, I agree with the posters who have said why should we have to pay to feed other people’s kids?
I can only remember 1 kid in my year at school who got free dinners. We need to address the reason it’s so rife now.

[Mamyalynne]

Valid point re fruit/veg picking - if the jobless live in that part of the country. Rather more problematic if someone has 2 school age children and lives inner city.

There are things that should be done better and addressed but the wholesale generalisation is wearisome and goes nowhere.

[Bigbad]

But it’s not just fruit and veg jobs, Mamyalynne.
Employers from all across the spectrum chant the same mantra.

I know AB encompasses different generations, but how many of us can remember so many of our classmates who’s families lived on benefits, and/or needed free school meals?

And I don’t doubt I’ll get jumped on for this, but not only do I see it as rife, I also believe that in so many cases, what goes round, comes round, and the dole kids of today, will be the dole parents of tomorrow.

[murraymints]

and I tell it how it is from an official benefits agency perspective in posession of the facts and personal experience over many many years it is so very wrong to tar everyone with the same brush..there will always be a minority ..but that is what it is a minority..I grow weary from repeating myself too mamy ... temp seasonal work is available on a temp and localised basis and these jobs are traditionally taken by a transient population ..as in Norfolk where I was based for a while.... usually on a cash in hand day to day basis... not the solution for a family of 4 living in an inner city ....

[Bigbad]

Who’s tarring everyone with the same brush? The second line of my post at 10.20 started with “I don’t for one minute think that everybody on benefits is a scrounger.”
And why not answer my question - why is it so rife compared to our time at school?
Or comment on the fact that I said it’s not just seasonal work.

My recently deceased Dad worked for DHSS most of his working life.
Mainly in fraud and hardship payments.
He always said that folk these days get things too easily, with little or no incentive to make things better for themselves.
Too many people have children when they can’t afford to, knowing the state will help them out, and I agree with TTT, that so often, these people seem to spend their money on “must have’s” rather than necessities.
Unfortunately, having children is a right.
Perhaps it should be a privilege.