[tweetiepooh]

Things would be much easier if not for fraud. Because of the fraudsters the system ends up costing more and the rules get more and more complex so many who need help miss out.

Then there is the "dignity" thing. When there were proposals that some benefit could be paid in vouchers - e.g. you can buy food/kid's clothes etc with them but not booze - there was big outcry that the system didn't trust recipients.

So while it is good to ensure that kid's aren't going hungry and maybe there does need to be some central support it does need to be focussed. And what about the others in the household? Those too young for school? Are the parents or other household members also going hungry? Maybe communities need (and often are) to play a bigger role, they often know the situations better than any bureaucrat and can be more responsive too. If you know someone is going hungry and can help, then help, don't simply complain that something needs to be done.