Coronavirus: Families on free school meals will be sent vouchers during school closures
Catherine Gaunt
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Children eligible for free school meals will be offered vouchers, food or meals if they are no longer going to school during the coronavirus outbreak.
Guidance for schools published today by the Government gives them flexibility to provide meals or vouchers for food shopping to low-income families if they are no longer going to school because of school closures, or self-isolation at home.
Around 1.3 million children are entitled to free school meals.
Effective immediately, schools will be able to order vouchers directly from supermarkets or shops in their communities to be emailed or printed and posted to families, and they will have their costs covered by the Department for Education.
The Government said the value of the vouchers will also be paid at a higher rate than usual, to recognise that costs may be higher for families because they will not be able to shop in bulk.
The guidance for schools states that they can choose the most appropriate way to support eligible children, and headteachers can decide which of the available options are best for families in their area.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said, ‘Our school leaders and teachers are central to the country’s response to these unprecedented challenges, and I want to thank them for their calm resilience in the face of adversity.
‘I am reassured by the support they continue to offer all families, particularly the most disadvantaged.
‘No child who would ordinarily receive a free school meal should go without this while their school is closed or while they are having to self-isolate at home. By giving headteachers flexibility on how they can get meals or shop vouchers to these children, they can make the most appropriate decisions for families in their communities, and provide immediate reassurance that this important support will continue.’
The DfE is developing a national approach to providing these supermarket and shop vouchers. More details, including the total values being provided, will be provided shortly via the published guidance.
The move is aimed at providing immediate reassurance to families across England that they can still access this support even in the event of having to self-isolate at home, or while schools are closed on the Government’s advice.
