Free laptops and broadband promised for 270,000 poor UK families
By Vlad Savov 
posted January 12th 2010 2:14PM
posted January 12th 2010 2:14PM
posted January 12th 2010 2:14PM
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@nabberuk
Actually, I know for a fact that it is available to the exact same people who get free school meals, and I can tell you that'd definitely not someone on what I'd consider a low income (without stating figures). But still, who cares, I'll just save for months on end while my next door neighbour gets it all for free. Nice one.
Again shocked by some of the comments on here. This promise was made well before any election run ups and you do realise that not every family in poverty spends all there earnings on sky/tv's etc. anything to help their kids do better at school will secure a brighter future for the UK. Would you prefer X amount to be spent now, or X times 10 be spent in the future when their kids are on the doll?
Glad some of the people commented above will never be policy makers, they'd widen the gap between the poor and rich quicker than jordan canwiden her legs.
@nabberuk I was at a home of a couple in a council house last week on business and guess what they had Sky tv, a bigger new LCD tv than I got, probably 46", full surround sound, blu-ray player, leather lounge suite.
The fact is that most people on benefits are abusing the system and aren't as poor as they make out to be. Makes me sick that all the tax I pay gets handed out to cheats that don't deserve anything.
If you are different and an honest person, good for you, not enough people like you on benefits
Now let's be realistic- they're not going to be giving people £1000 laptops with 50MB broadband are they? They'll be cheap ones with basic features, and probably either limited wi-fi along the lines of the Swindon council scheme or mobile dongles limited to a couple of GB a month (which they'll be increasingly and cheaply able to do once spectrum is freed up by digital switchover) Though if this even goes ahead at all following the election is anybody's guess, and the Govt's record on IT projects hasn't been good(just look at the NHS IT system!) this merely looks like an extension of what local community organisations and charities have been doing already, trying to get people who don't have computers yet online and using many services that have increasingly moved onto the Internet-hey, most government services are on Directgov now, why not make them accessible to the people who most need them?
Though this probably won't happen due to our financial malaise at the moment, the digital divide definitely still needs looking at. If we don't find a way to get the poor and needy online when everything's on the Internet now, they'll likely end up poorer.
@diamonddogs
i agree with your comments. We've just finished a scheme at a local school where 20 laptops (with 3G dongles) were loaned out to the kids. It really helped with their homework etc as they had nothing at home before. The teachers actually noted a fairly big improvement in their marks.
Just goes to show what a computer does for education.
@insy Just like California, when the country is broke they spend money on internet for the poor?!!! What the.
While I do believe that people have a right to take food and water from others (via government intervention) to sustain themselves if they can or will not, but since when are LAPTOPS AND BROADBAND a requirement of life? You want it, awesome, work for it, don't force your neighbor to buy it for you.
Obama is starting to cater to this voter base as well, at least in rhetoric, which is frightening.
@Ducman69
So you aren't even british?
@Ducman69
Yes, britain must be doing all the worst things ever, and Obama is a total idiot for trying to mimick a country whose currency is worth 60% more than americas.
@BrianH
US GDP (PPP) per capita = 47,440
UK GDP (PPP) per capita = 36,358
Currency value has little to do with a counties over all wealth, its how many people you have and how much money you have per person, we aren't on a gold standard anymore idiot.
@BrianH - Are you simple or something? So I take it you think your currency is a hundred and fifty times greater than Japan's right? LOL!
As was said, if you want to compare wealth, the United States has surpassed the United Kingdom before you were born.
In any case, enjoy your government surveillance and hide those kitchen knives before big brother comes knocking on your door to disarm you. :D
Only thing better for the internet than more brits is more chav brits, so good call there.
An easy enough solution: Instead of paying out 300 million in order to provide the laptops and broadband make a list of citizens willing to share their laptops and broadband. That way those willing to help can, and there is no additional tax burden. The indignant folks simply show up at the door step at the homes of the willing program participants and use their internet access when ever they choose.
The can ride their unicorns if it's too far.
@Hbishop
I'm one of the people paying for it...and I do it gladly because I used to be one of those poor kids. I'm going to assume you and the others on your side are pretty young and live in the "I did this myself" world where everyone should pull themselves up by their bootstraps and "get on with it"
Well kids, there's a real world out there and not everyone can be a doctor or lawyer. Someone has to clean the mess you make in the office...someone has to feed your addiction to bad plasticy and overpriced coffee. These people have kids and if they're disadvantaged from the get go things end up worse not better for everyone else. When some twit rons you or some young scrote nicks your new gadget, remember that kid could have been at home with some semblance of hope that they might make something of themselves instead of being a villain.
If you all want the American dream so bad...the one where the top 1% own nearly everything go there.
@Tes Personally, I think the premise is great. In this decade everyone should have access to the internet, but I can't see how doing it this way, right now is the right idea.
They've finally admitted they need to make serious cutbacks because of how they fucked up the economy and got us into massive debt. A lot of these cut backs are coming from education. Those cut backs should be only used to get us out the shit, and not fund schemes like this, which aren't really needed when kids have all of this at school already.
Don't just divide £300,000,000 by 270,000. Factor in 'administration' and it's far more likely that, far from £1,100 MacBooks, the scheme (which won't pass the commons) would end up using Netbooks.
Tony blair promised EVERY brit would get free broadband 20 years ago or so already, never happened, I don't see this happen either realistically.
Instead there's the internet tax to pay for people having a nice home in the country to get internet too.
But it's not my concern so ignore me.
@Wwhat Tony Blair in 1990, 4 years before being elected leader, 7 before being elected Prime Minister. Also the internet tax is for people who live in the countryside and don't have local services anymore to get a decent internet which will provide some of these services.
That's what I said.
Those who can't write will get Nexus One with voice recognition
Those who can't read will get N900 with text-to-speech
Those that just won't bother getting out of bed will get iSlate
Way to go Gordon!
OK, Firstly Engadget needs to actually do research before reporting! this is a passed bill and is known as the Home Access Programme, its open on a first come first served basis to all children in England who attend state school and are entitiled to free school meals who are aged between 7-14 its one laptop and BB access per family, it consists of a Grant Card for £528.00 whihc gives you Anitvirus, Parental and Office Software Suite software as well as special needs sofware for those who require it, the Hardware consists of a 15" SAMSUNG R519 Laptop (Intel T3100, 1GB, Etc) very basic, or a 10" Netbook of simlar spec (although Atom based) or a Celeron Desktop PC, The Internet Access is a provided via a mobiel dongle and gives 12 months (3GB Per Month) Access after the 12 months the parent decides to pay or not for the service.
The generalisation of these comments that benfit claiments are all lazy and dont work is disgusting, I have 3 children 1 is disabled and i am a full time carer for my child, i work part time while my child in school but i am still able to claim some benifits to help our family, becuase such i find funds difficult i am able to now through this scheme get my children a laptop to share for internet use to help with the home work etc.
but by some of the standards you believe in i must only be out to, lay in bed watch oprah and eat crap all day, never mind i was a full time worker prior to my disabled child being born that i paid tax and national insurance and that i could possibly deserve some help!
the majority of comments = small minded chidlren who prolly dont work yet and feel they have a say in how the country should be run, god forbid anythign happens to you as our country would go under without you working and supporting us scroungers!
OK, Firstly Engadget needs to actually do research before reporting! this is a passed bill and is known as the Home Access Programme, its open on a first come first served basis to all children in England who attend state school and are entitiled to free school meals who are aged between 7-14 its one laptop and BB access per family, it consists of a Grant Card for £528.00 whihc gives you Anitvirus, Parental and Office Software Suite software as well as special needs sofware for those who require it, the Hardware consists of a 15" SAMSUNG R519 Laptop (Intel T3100, 1GB, Etc) very basic, or a 10" Netbook of simlar spec (although Atom based) or a Celeron Desktop PC, The Internet Access is a provided via a mobiel dongle and gives 12 months (3GB Per Month) Access after the 12 months the parent decides to pay or not for the service.
The generalisation of these comments that benfit claiments are all lazy and dont work is disgusting, I have 3 children 1 is disabled and i am a full time carer for my child, i work part time while my child in school but i am still able to claim some benifits to help our family, becuase such i find funds difficult i am able to now through this scheme get my children a laptop to share for internet use to help with the home work etc.
but by some of the standards you believe in i must only be out to, lay in bed watch oprah and eat crap all day, never mind i was a full time worker prior to my disabled child being born that i paid tax and national insurance and that i could possibly deserve some help!
the majority of comments = small minded chidlren who prolly dont work yet and feel they have a say in how the country should be run, god forbid anythign happens to you as our country would go under without you working and supporting us scroungers!
@haritori nice double post!
@haritori Good points, well made.
Directly quoting the Guardian article, for those who don't like reading.
"The move is designed to back up the government's "guarantee" that all parents will be able to access school reports about their children's progress online – by 2010 for secondary schools, and 2012 for primary schools." (This in itself is a bit of a waste of time for teachers having to constantly update the system but this is beside the point)
We have a progressive tax system for a reason consider the concept of the "Veil of ignorance". Also, you do get something back, you get the guarantee that if you fall seriously ill for a long time then you get treatment from the NHS, get benefits while looking for a job when you recover. This is on top of Education spending that you have already received, defence spending, pensions, and David Attenborough's voice!!
@haritori
Actually, without my line of work the country would be thrown into a deeper recession than it is now.
And if you'd like to know, I'm part of the 1 IT team in charge of 3 of the countries biggest banks, building societies, estate agents, and pensioners.
So all you've done there, is generalized people making a generalization.
Thus, making you a hypocrite.
where do these pro-welfare people get off, thinking rich people have a responsibility to the communities they profit off of.
I wish you hadn't posted this story, this reads more like the Daily Mail comment section now...
Realistically, I'm doubting it's the same level of broadband service you can get from most commercial outlets. I mean if the service people pay for engages in traffic shaping and other antics, the free one must be worse. If it isn't though, I will consider becoming a UK citizen.
@(Unverified) The purpose of the statue of liberty was also to provide a constant reminder to the U.S.A., France and the world of the virtues of a Republic, as many in France liked the idea of a return to a monarchy after the fall (and exile) of Napoleon III. In other words it is a symbol against the upper classes gaining too much power and leaving the lower classes in squaller (not that i'm saying that life without a laptop is squaller)
There are not many poor people in the UK, mostly lazy benefit thieves that know that if they don't work or only work part-time and they have kids, that they are set up for life with a house and money handouts from the government at the expense of people that are honest and hardworking in the form of high taxes.
Down with Gordon Brown and his Labour party!
@haritori
Let me start by saying, you choose to have 3 kids, so don't use that as an excuse for not having money. Bad choices in life, I understand, we all make them, and a helping hand is appreciate as well, but please don't talk as if social welfare is a right, where the hell would you be had you been born 50 years ago, be grateful for the help you receive and respect it. I am Sorry that one is disabled, I know that can be a huge financial burden to you, but don't take it out on upon others who "made it", are supporting you, and have every right to question the return on investment of there take dollars to those "needing" social welfare.
But as other have said you don't NEED a laptop, there are plenty available publicly, and the fact you get one with no lasting promise (like the kids grades have to stay at X level, you have to have a job and work X number hours, ect, ect).
That's the main problem that people have with social welfare programs; they become complacent with them because they never have any hard stipulations on them, they seemingly never expire, and they don't require you to give anything back, and the majority of what we DO get back is crime and continued joblessness.
When i was in highschool some kid that skipped class and was planning on dropping out said to me, "who cares, if anything you will be taking care of me" I could loose my job right now, for being bad at it, go down to the joblessness office, and get half of what i was making for free, no strings attached (other then not getting a job). Now i can sell drugs on the side, sit at home all day and play video games, pop a couple babies out, and I'd never have to work again.
I'm glad that the system does help out some deserving people like you, that had a bad hand dealt, but I don't think you deserve it forever, you should take a look at your situation, and figure out a way to become self-reliant, by any means (even if that means moving to the country and becoming a self-sustaining farmer). Thats how it use to be, people becoming helpless and dependent does not equate social progress in my book. The majority of welfare goes to waste, and handouts do not equal better society.
If you want to prove your words, I challenge you, as you owe it to yourself, to your children, and your fellow countrymen to raise your able children to be smart, productive, tax-paying members of society. If the outcome of your household anything less, then you will be yet another statistic of the failed welfare system, but if you CAN do this, then maybe, just maybe, you can shed some light that the system can work. There is no room for failure by any degree or everything the taxpayers have done for you is for nothing, the Ball is in your court now, as condescending as I sound, I am an optimist, I know you can, and I hope you actually do it.
god forbid if the free laptop gives the less fortunate an opportunity to better themselves. all you doushbags who are angry because you don't get anything because your successful really need to chill. im successful and have no problem helping my fellow citizen to help make the majority of the population even.
ps. i donate to non profit organizational on the regular as well as pay out the a** in taxes.
@(Unverified)
Exactly! Isn't it such a pita being successful.
Oh wait I already have a laptop.
Hmm.
Oh well guess it's not so bad.
I hate the fact these money grubbing bastards use this benefit money to go to Benidorm, get 50 inch TV's, Sky HD, Cigarettes, go out and get pissed. ect. (Multiple generations in the same family do this)
Purge the UK of these people they surely shall not be missed.
The glare of these peoples overpowering selfishness is actually phasing out the recognition of people who genuinely need benefits in the recession, lose their houses due to being made redundant and still wont be given a temporary flat or shelter. It just makes me angry to no extent as I see it every day.
18 and going to Uni soon, gonna have to work my arse off to pay for it.
@Mike10010100
like helping the poor to afford a macbook and an iphone, while citizens are only able to afford a plain whitebox pc or netbook
@Tes
The problem is that this has already been tried and failed miserably even though the problems were obvious before it got off the ground. I used to work for a government agency that decided that it would be a great idea to spend something like £1.5 million of taxpayers money to give the poorest kids in the poorest parts of London, Laptops, PDAs and broadband. The problem was that many of the Kids ended up either getting mugged for said items or selling said items on Ebay! Even if they had not done this, the idea was pretty useless as the items were meant for educational use and only the poorest in the areas got the free equipment. The other kids although still too poor to afford the equipment got nothing and therefore the laptops and PDAs were of no use whatsoever in the classroom as teachers could hardly expect all the kids to have a PDA or Laptop! And this was just one of the many crazy schemes that the agency I worked for wasted money on. Seriously if the British public were fully aware of the sheer scale of wasted taxes in the public sector then there would be riots! (It makes the expenses scandal look like a minor issue)
It is a complete waste of money as this government just throws money at votes and has no idea on how to run these schemes in a efficient and value added way (just take a look at the NHS IT project).
Ummm, no!
Lets just hope it doesn't pass. I'm in the UK, in full time employment, and pay taxes. Why should I subsidise schemes like this which do little to further IT in the communities where its not appreciated fully, its just money into the pockets of laptop manufacturers.
Have you seen low income society in britain!? Chav hell.
Lets face it, we may joke, but a lot of them WILL end up on Ebay or sold in the pub.
If there is no infrastructure to connect these machines to to reap the benefits of connectivity with school progress reports and such (theres no evidence such a system even exists) then they will just be used for pr0n, and in a lot of cases for all sorts of criminal activities.
Think I'm being a bit 'extreme'? Then you're just naive.
I predict that a large percentage of these poor familes will be a few hundred quid less poor shortly after recieving their free laptop.
First off, for those of you with vastly better ideas for the spending of public funds, please by all means state your plans, we'd all loved to hear them. While you're at it, you may as well try running for parliament too.
I wonder, have any of the people quoting largely circumstantial and anecdotal evidence on "tax scroungers" ever actually done any in depth study into the issue or perhaps taken any steps to highlight it?
All i have to say is that some poorer people genuinly cannot afford internet connection for their children having been on both sides of the line with my husband working for 25 years without claiming a penny and that now because he was made redundant and we could do with a helping hand now and again you get narrow minded people who assume you are just a benefit scrounger after all that we can get and will stay there till the pension arrives. Well why not if you were put in that position would you take a houndout???