UK benefits: Free laptops for poor families

You know how it is. Sometimes, despite feeling that you are very politically aware, certain legislation can pass you by.

Often this is because it does not directly affect you. Other times it is because the matter in question has received little press.

This is what happened to me regarding free laptops for poor families in the UK.

A work colleague mentioned the matter in passing and soon had me hooked researching the implications.

Free Laptops for poor families? Never from our current Coalition Government who constantly tell us that we must tighten our belts, I thought. Well it turns out that I was partially right. It appears that this is part of the old Labour Government's legacy.

I may have agreed with plenty of that government's polices and genuinely feel that support services and benefits should be in place, however free laptops for poor families? I think not.

I am not one to make judgements without knowing the details so a little research was needed.

Laptops for poor families promised.

In January 2010 Labour UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced free laptops for around 1/4 million families in the UK. It was hoped that these would help improve exam results, that were often poor in schools located in less affluent areas of the UK.

All in all an admirable concept, if not a little misguided.

The scheme was to cost British Taxpayers £300,000,000.

The computers were to all have broadband connections provided free for one year. The scheme is available for those children aged seven to thirteen who are currently eligible for free school meals. It is also open to those children from households with an income of less than £16,040 a year.

The families involved would be able to access progress reports on their children's attainment, behaviour and other needs.

The idea is also that within the next couple of years all families will be able to access their child's or children's records on-line.

Apart from being a beneficial aid for children's homework and study trials of the scheme proved invaluable, to single parents for finding work and keeping in touch with friends,

Having detailed the government's hopes for a new technological era for families in the UK nothing was said about those struggling on the bread-line.

Sceptics have aired thoughts that these laptops were all the more necessary in order to enable the UK to fully switch over to digital.

I am told that the families in this scheme do not receive the money outright for the laptop but instead receive a £500 voucher to purchase the equipment from an approved store. What other preventatives are in place I am not sure.

Thoughts

Times have changed from the liberal thinking of the sixties in so many ways. Society now has more people that will sell items such as laptops for drug money and the like. Many benefits these days are designed to encourage people back to work.

My work colleague is a single mum with more than one child.

She has worked and fought to survive over the years. As she told me she has managed to buy her children a lap-top but it was a battle.

The subject became part of our conversation as some of her neighbours have been bragging about their children's new laptops. We all like to show off occasionally but imagine yourself in this position. Neighbours who do not work and have no intention of looking for work would appear to be prospering whilst you fight on. If you were only just making ends meet it could make you want to give up. As my colleague said she was furious when she was shown their brand new all singing and all dancing laptops compared to the one she had bought.

As is so often the case well intentioned ideas have not been given enough or appropriate thought.

Before politician's give other working poor people a slap in the face perhaps the ought to consult a wide majority of them.

Such schemes have to set boundaries some where along the line. This will inevitably mean that families earning a little over the £16,040 a year will lose out. These families will still be poor though.

Setting up Internet facilities in the area for ALL the children to use would maybe have been more sensible, easier to manage, created some new jobs and in the long run have benefited more children from poorer households..