Children receiving free school meals in Hull to be given vouchers for food thanks to Christmas promise

Peter Clark, Hull City Council's safeguarding children portfolio holder, said the authority would provide the vouchers to ensure the most vulnerable children and families were provided with extra support over the Christmas period.

Children who live in Hull and are currently receiving free school meals will be given vouchers of £15 a week over the Christmas holidays.

Parents of children who receive free school meals in Hull’s schools will be sent a text or an email asking them to choose the supermarket of their choice.

Vouchers for their chosen supermarket will then be sent directly to the family.

Mr Clark said supporting the families was a “priority” for Guildhall officials over Christmas.

"In Hull there are around 12,500 families that receive free school meals, and it is a priority for us to ensure that these children and families get the support they need," Mr Clark said.

It comes as the council previously reimbursed free school meal families with £10 vouchers to cover the cost of food during October half term.

That decision and East Riding Council’s offer of £15 reimbursements for its eligible families, followed the voting down of a Labour motion in Parliament to fund meals over the holidays.

Labour’s push came alongside a campaign from England and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford, who first launched efforts to get funding for free school meal families over summer, as he called on people to "unite" to protect the most vulnerable children.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson later u-turned and said the Government would fund a Coronavirus Winter Grant Scheme with £170m to cover the meals at Christmas.

Ministers also announced an expansion of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme to cover the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays in 2021.

Rashford, was made an MBE in the delayed Queen's birthday honours, having succeeded in the campaign to provide free school meal vouchers to 1.3m children in the summer holidays.

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