Child Benefit and School Meals

[hedman2003]

I've recently been on a course with colleagues who work for the school meals service who came up with an interesting suggestion regarding scrapping or reducing child benefit but providing all school age pupils with a "free" school dinner.

The argument was that it would ensure all children received at least one hot nutritional meal per day as many of the kids did not have breakfast and sometimes their tea was very limited in terms of nutritional value.

It would also provide employment opportuniities for parents working in the school kitchens and increasing the working population

It would increase the social skills of pupils sitting down with their peers and using a knife and fork which they dont do at home

It would ensure that the child benefit was used positively and for the benefit of the child

It seemed a really good idea to me and I couldn't immediatly think of any major negatives

any thoughts?

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by hedman2003

any thoughts?

ermm yes. I think I am responsible enough to decide how best to spend any money I receive on my child myself, not be dictated to because a few people spend child benefit on whatever vice they spend it on.

[cashman]

not really aware now how much child benefit is,nor how much school dinners cost, would be interested to compare em, just to see that its not an underhand way of screwing people.

[onlyme]

I can see the benefits, but agree that as parents, if we are responsible enough to raise a child, we should be responsible enough to spend child benefit correctly.

My child cr*pped his way through the childbenefit with nappies, and to be honest, any parent that has had to watch the pennies, would be able to make more than an average of the 20 nutritional dinners you are talking about, and actually feed the child for the full month on that, when the child is of school age

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by cashman

not really aware now how much child benefit is,nor how much school dinners cost, would be interested to compare em, just to see that its not an underhand way of screwing people.

CB is £18.80 a week for eldest child. School dinners in the region of £1.75 a day nowadays.

[onlyme]

Originally Posted by cashman

not really aware now how much child benefit is,nor how much school dinners cost, would be interested to compare em, just to see that its not an underhand way of screwing people.

Child benefit, just under £70 every 4 weeks for a single child

[cashman]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

CB is £18.80 a week for eldest child. School dinners in the region of £1.75 a day nowadays.

i rest my case then,its what i suspected of these sh1ts, a BIG CON.

[jackyalex]

those who have free school meals now would have even less at home, why take money away from people who already get free school meals? i can only pay for my kids to have a school dinner on a friday because i cant afford nearly £30 pw for school diners, so i would be at a loss too with my child benefit being taken off me, but needless to say my kids have more than enough good food to eat whenever they want it because i was that child who only had one meal a day unless my friends parents fed me, i have also worked in the school kitchens and i have to say 43pence is what they have to spend on each childs meal

[onlyme]

I think the people that come up with these 'solutions' have never had to live to a tight budget and make money stretch to provide a good nutricious meal.

They should actually listen to those mums, and who knows, they may be able to save money themselves.

[onlyme]

Actually, thinking about it, people like my nanna, who managed to raise 8 children on her own with none of them suffering, should be placed in charge of providing school meals etc. Theyd spend half as much, and it would be good proper food! lol

[cashman]

well said onlyme, perhaps hedman would care to comment on wether or not he thinks there is still no negatives? shucks he's gone.lol

[flashy]

can i just say that school dinners are CRAP, Reece is entitled to free school dinners but i refuse to let him have them...he was coming home from school saying that he'd only had a cake or a yogurt because there was no food left, i went mad at the head, she just shrugged her shoulders and said 'well if you dont like it then change schools' i immediately put Reece onto sandwiches...at least i know what he's eating and that he is actually eating SOMETHING for his lunch

[cashman]

my child benefit days are long gone, but they were very useful for shoes n clothes n the like,when times were hard, n i will defend the right of em till i croak.

[katex]

Well, said it before and say it again.. it should be mandatory for all school children to stay for school dinners. That way, a more extensive menu will be offered and hopefully, more customers, will eventually reduce the cost.

Packed lunches or going to the chippie at lunch can cost just as much as £ 1.75 and not particularly nutritional, unless the parent is vigilent about it, but how many are ?

Is their still an extra benefit for 'free' school dinners if particularly feeling the hardship ? Should be brought back, and none of that bull about children feeling demeanoured by this .. can be done tactfully.

Just trying to encourage parents to go along with this would not work, would still be the ones that (like Lancsdave) would prefer to handle their Child Benefit in the way they seem fit .. and quite rightly so.

[flashy]

Originally Posted by katex

Packed lunches or going to the chippie at lunch can cost just as much as £ 1.75 and not particularly nutritional, unless the parent is vigilent about it, but how many are ?

excuse me, Reece takes a variety of meals to school with him, sometimes he takes soup, salad or a sandwhich, he takes a yogurt, cherry tomato's for a snack an orange or banana a drink and sometimes a packet of crisps

now i'm sorry Kate but i'd rather him have that than have nothing to eat at all...school dinners arent what they used to be when i was little, they are CRAP