Pupils who get free school meals to receive food vouchers to cover lunch cost during coronavirus closure

Families of children who are entitled to free school meals will receive a supermarket voucher to cover the cost of lunch while schools are closed during the coronavirus pandemic.

From today, education providers across England are being invited to join the scheme to ensure children most at need get support, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said.

The £15-a-week voucher - for each eligible child - has been set above the £11.50 currently paid to schools for the cost of providing free meals in recognition that families do not order in bulk and face higher costs.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also being given the chance to sign up to the scheme.

It is estimated that 1.3 million pupils are currently entitled to free meals.​

Mr Williamson said that while some schools were making their own plans to ensure pupils continued to be fed, he hoped most would join the scheme.

He said that no child should have to go hungry as a result of measures brought in to control the spread of the virus.

“I really hope that this is something taken up by most schools. I think this will be a real big help to so many families,” he said.

“We are living in extraordinary times at the moment. It’s really important that we do everything we can do for families, make sure those children we really want to be able to support and help are getting that support.

“What we are wanting to do is just give schools that extra bit of support, give families that extra bit of support.”

The Government originally announced the voucher plan following the decision earlier this month to order the closure of all schools.

The vouchers can be spent on food at a range of shops including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer, although Mr Williamson said he hoped to get all the supermarket chains signed up.

Once a school has joined the scheme, the vouchers will be sent out by email directly to the eligible families by the Department for Education’s supplier, Edenred.

Alternatively, for those families which do not have internet access, the school can claim them on their behalf and send out paper copies in the post.