More corruption

Notice I saw in a supermarket last year.... Food vouchers may not be used to buy alcohol.

This was reported by the Daily Mail....... are we now believing someone who tweets a photo and calls the DM ?

However it is being looked into by an MP. So if it’s true it should be sorted.

The most overused expression of the past year or so seems to me to be "You couldn't make it up". This is yet another time when I want to use it. A disgusting way to treat people and another instance of a socially unbalanced government, none of whom, apparently, ever had to try hard to make ends meet.

The amount of money this government has squandered as a result of ill thought out decisions and funnelled in the direction of cronies is scandalous.

It was on the lunchtime news on the BBC ...do you believe them?

Blossoming

That is not even the worst example. One such parcel contained half a tomato. Sorry kid, you’re not worth a whole tomato,make that last a week and be grateful.

First of all....are we absolutely sure the food delivered is as in the pic shown?
Secondly, during this crisis with children at home for meals it seems the government wants to make sure that (overall) healthy food is delivered.
The company concerned Chartwells is a provider of school meals normally.
IF it can be proven that the boxes contain such measly amounts then of course the Company should be taken to task.

Oopsadaisy1

This was reported by the Daily Mail....... are we now believing someone who tweets a photo and calls the DM ?

However it is being looked into by an MP. So if it’s true it should be sorted.

Yes, exactly.

If Chartwells are really doing this ( or their employees pilfering) then it needs sorting out asap.

Isn't this time for a new company/companies to fill the gap? I really like the idea of food boxes being delivered to people's homes - with realistic amounts of proper food that meet the needs of the recipients. That would save parents needing to go out with their children to spend the vouchers - would avoid unnecessary contacts and transport costs...

Dorsetcupcake61

To me it feels mean and spiteful,as if they have been forced to provide these meals and want to make it as dismal an experience as possible. It's probably not that. Just providing minimum possible for maximum profit to company.
I dont know if free school meals in general have improved. When my daughters were at school in the late 1990s they were envious of friends who got them as they were full of highly processed junk and sugar!

Until six years ago, I was an expert on school meals, as I did a stint as a supply teacher after "retirement". I can honestly say that school meals are generally still awful, but they're very variable. The two best schools I knew had won the contracts to supply their own food.

Oopsadaisy1

This was reported by the Daily Mail....... are we now believing someone who tweets a photo and calls the DM ?

However it is being looked into by an MP. So if it’s true it should be sorted.

It's not just in the DM. There are loads of photos on Twitter.

I think vouchers to spend in the supermarket are preferable, but times aren’t normal.Since tax payers are funding the boxes they must honestly contain £30 worth of goods, otherwise Chartwells are simply making money from them (over and above whatever they are legally making,)

lemongrove

Blossoming

That is not even the worst example. One such parcel contained half a tomato. Sorry kid, you’re not worth a whole tomato,make that last a week and be grateful.

First of all....are we absolutely sure the food delivered is as in the pic shown?
Secondly, during this crisis with children at home for meals it seems the government wants to make sure that (overall) healthy food is delivered.
The company concerned Chartwells is a provider of school meals normally.
IF it can be proven that the boxes contain such measly amounts then of course the Company should be taken to task.

The first picture is supposedly for ten lunches. I guess it's nutritious for somebody who wants to lose weight.

Yes, I think there's enough evidence that the pictures are genuine. The same thing happened with some of the parcels for people who were shielding and for students in halls of residence.

I have seen a sign in our local Iceland store that vouchers cannot be used to buy alcohol - I absolutely don't think that this means that many of the people who receive the vouchers have tried to do that

lemongrove

I think vouchers to spend in the supermarket are preferable, but times aren’t normal.Since tax payers are funding the boxes they must honestly contain £30 worth of goods, otherwise Chartwells are simply making money from them (over and above whatever they are legally making,)

My local foodbank is supplementing the government's "hampers", but people shouldn't have to rely on charity. We don't have many children receiving FSM, but some areas have hundreds or thousands.

I saw the food parcels for those shielding, and actually they were very good, nothing like the pic in the OP.

Eviebeanz

Isn't this time for a new company/companies to fill the gap? I really like the idea of food boxes being delivered to people's homes - with realistic amounts of proper food that meet the needs of the recipients. That would save parents needing to go out with their children to spend the vouchers - would avoid unnecessary contacts and transport costs...

Amazon?

lemongrove

I saw the food parcels for those shielding, and actually they were very good, nothing like the pic in the OP.

I think they were variable, so maybe there's a problem with quality control. I saw some posts from people who don't usually moan.

If I received a box like the one in the picture, the only thing I would eat would be the cheese, the apples, the satsuma and the carrots. The rest would go in the bin or to the foodbank.

Amazon?

What a sad thought that is...

M0nica Tue 12-Jan-21 12:16:22

Quite right Monica. The Tories have fallen foul of their own propaganda. This country has people who, like Trumps followers, believe the spin and lies that tells them the people's poverty is all their own fault and they are not to be trusted. Disgusting.

We are all tax payers and we, certainly during times like this, can fall into poverty. Those already on poverty wages have no cushion when they lose their job but that doesn't make them bad or untrustworthy.

I can think of quite a few who are/would be untrustworthy though as very often people expect the behaviour of others to be like their own. So those expecting these people to take the food out of their children's mouths if they are give money, well you have to ask why they would suspect unknown people of such behaviour, don't you?

Maizie Fecklessness is not a class or money related problem. It can be found across society.

Some years ago, when I was working I did some research into households using prepayment meters to pay for gas and electricity.

Among them I found a substantial group of affluent households using them including accountants and solicitors. These families were feckless with money, spent on impulse, up to their ears in debt and couldnt cope with Direct Debits because they were often not paid because they were over their overdraft limit. They had poor credit scores. They didn't lead lives of great luxury, just total chaos.

Fecklessness is certainly not limited to the poor.

I agree PippaZ why would anyone imagine that parents would spend money on booze instead of food unless they had considered doing so themselves.

Ilovecheese, unless all those in need and poverty are quite exceptionally virtuous, there will be some households, not many, who will redirect any money coming into the house to supporting their addicition; whether that be drugs, alcohol, gambling or being forced to give it to others.

I am and always been a very light drinker, I have never taken drugs nor do I gamble or force other family members to give me all their money, yet I can still see this.