Change the word food to education, then would you complain?

 

Well I think it is a good move as long as some parents don't use it as an excuse to skip their kid's breakfast or tea.

Will they be offered a beer with their meal or will they have to stick with the house claret I wonder?

dl

 

I once went on a training course in Sweden, they served beer, with both lunch and dinner if one wanted it.

 

FFS

Option a) Take away my Child benefit...then give it back as a "free" school meal
or
B) let me choose how and when I want to bloody spend it.

Typical "government knows best" attitude....well they don't.

 

Myself & my partner are tax payers too, but have no children.

Why should we have to pay for dinners for everyone else's children?

 

Because the children will be paying your pensions in years to come?

 

By the time myself & my partner reach pension age, between us we will have made at least 85 years worth of contributions towards out pensions.

I don't feel that by the time we reach pension age, we will owe anything to anybody in return for our pensions, we will have earned our pensions ourselves, & will owe no thanks to anyone elses children for them.

Anyway, who is to say at this stage what shape or form the state pension will take when we get to retirement age, or if they will even exist.

 

Yep.

 

How do people know who gets free school meals. Is there a separate queue, or do you sit at a different table?

 

Easy - its the kids with holes in their dirty looking clothing.

 

When I was in high school back in the 90s the kids who got free school meals got tickets which they had to give in at the till.

 

I think its a good idea too, although my kids will just miss out!
Maybe all the MPs could stop having meetings at lunch payed for by the taxpayer, that would help out with the cost...... mind you why should we have to pay for their second homes too? although thats another can of worms!!

 

Nice view from up there?

Regardless of how much youve paid in it's being spent now, if you think it's being saved

As for paying for other peoples children, we're supporting the successful development of the next generation, the doctors, dentists and nurses that you'll need when you get older.

 

My kids will also just miss out, but my morals wouldn't let me take it knowing that I can afford to pay for them.

Just like child benefit - we don't need it (and don't get it now), but for the last 5 years ours was given to charity.

So, let me ask you - if you are in the position of receiving these free meals but you can actually afford them anyway, (and I'm assuming you are all good parents and feed your kids nutritious meals) how about giving the equivalent amount to a charity?

 

Milneragain

There is no such thing as hypothecated taxation in the UK............your pension contributions will have been well and truly spent by then.

Yes, your state pension will be paid for by the taxpayers of the time. Your taxes and contributions are paying for this month's pensioners.

Shaun

 

This will cost 600million quid. Were already overspending by 120 BILLION per year and they want to throw away more of it...

 

I guess you are OK with throwing away tens of BILLIONS on Trident though?

 

Don't know about the view, but it is lovely & snuggly & comfortable where I am.



What can I say, I think if a person can afford to pay for his own children's school dinners, he or she should pay for them.

Is it wrong to say that? If so, tough.

Why should it be up to the taxpayer to do so, when the money could be spent so much better in other places, like the NHS, which is on it's knees?

 

I'm OK with wasting it on NHS IT schemes

 

you're on your own there

 

Just seen that this handout is costing more (£600m) than the spare room subsidy is saving (£540m)

Madness

 

TBF, I don't think the bedroom tax is supposed to be about saving money - let's face it, 1/2 a billion off the social welfare bill is peanuts.
It is meant to have the effect of people in subsidised accommodation being moved into appropriate (smaller) sized properties so that it will free up spare capacity for those in need of it.
Obviously more efficient use of the housing stock we have will cause further savings in the future.

 

Well if you see kids taking packed lunches, it doesn't take Sherlock homes to deduce they probably don't get free meals provided.