Lexie G on 15 January 2021

This virus and all the issues it has and is still causing is becoming too much. My husband lost his job we went nearly 9 weeks trying to survive as a family of 6 on £60 per week, I tried desperately not to get into debt and for the most part I think I did ok. I was lucky that the school my boys are in is a small village school so when I rung and explained the situation they were happy to start my children on free school meals, it was a little bit of relief knowing they would get at least one decent meal a day. Payments have started via UC now finally. Obviously we have gone into a second lockdown and the kids are out of school and a letter was sent out from the school stating we would be paid £19 per child per week to cover the dinners (this would be a massive help...4 hungry boys) and it would be an automatic thing whenever we went into lockdown we didn’t have to do anything!! Sadly I’ve been waiting and waiting and still no payment so I contacted the school whom informed me to contact the council (this is easier said than done at the moment) finally after days of leaving messages someone rung me back today to inform me we had fallen through the cracks and that we were meant to fill a form in. Annoying but ok then the conversation ended with oh we won’t be back paying!!! Seriously how has any family fallen through the cracks in regards to children eating or not eating? I filled the form in today. I’m angry, how are families who through not fault of their own rely on benefits being so forgotten?

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