Labour deputy leader slams government over half term free school meals as Yorkshire councils commit to funding food

Free school meals are funded by the government for pupils in term time, but schools have been told the government will not be providing meals or vouchers over the break.

Councils in Yorkshire are instead planning to use money from the government’s £170million Covid Winter Grant scheme, divided between local authorities, to supply meals to young people during the school break.

But guidance published on the government's website for councils on how to distribute the funds states that the scheme is “not intended to replicate or replace free school meals.”

Manchester United football player Marcus Rashford has spearheaded the campaign for the government to provide free school meals during holidays for the duration of the pandemic.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Angela Rayner, herself a former recipient of free school meals, said: “The government have used smoke and mirrors.

“It is clear in the guidance for the Winter Grant that it shouldn’t be used to replace free school meals.

“It’s become a really critical issue, and a premiership footballer has now twice embarrassed the government over this.

“The government have hoodwinked the public over this. It’s letting down children when they should be supporting them the most.

“No council is sitting on extra pots of money that can go to these kids.

“The government should hang their heads in shame.”

The Winter Grant funding is ring-fenced by the government, and 80 per cent of it must be distributed by councils to households with children.

Leeds City Council were allocated £2.84 million from the Winter Support Grant, and announced last year that over half of the funds were being used to provide free meals over the Christmas and February half-term holidays.

North Yorkshire County Council and Sheffield City Council have also confirmed that they are using funds from the Winter Support Grant for meals over the half-term.

Ms Rayner was speaking on a “virtual visit” to Sheffield, where a teacher from the city discussed how staff at his school meet holiday meal costs for pupils from their own pockets.

Tom Hope, who teaches at Chaucer School in Parson Cross, where two-thirds of pupils receive free school meals, said: “It’s normal practice in our school in the run-up to holidays for staff to bring food in and do deliveries.

“Covid has made it a lot worse. It’s really magnified the struggles lots of families have got.

“Staff have volunteered to work as packers and drivers, and I saw over the summer holidays the work being done.

“Our entire school hall was full of food being packed.”

Richard Watts, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Resources Board, said:

“Government was explicit that the Covid Winter Grant Scheme (CWGS) was not intended to replicate or replace free school meals, but was to enable councils to support low income households, particularly those at risk of food poverty as we moved towards economic recovery.

“Government should provide food vouchers to eligible families during February half-term as it did last summer, with councils using winter grant funding to provide additional support with partners where necessary.

“The CWGS is only a short-term fix so in order to enable local government to continue to play a vital role in supporting families facing hardship, a more sustainable, long-term solution that does not rely on inefficient short-term funding is needed to meet the needs of low income families, particularly with households in hardship other than those eligible for free school meals and some new to the benefits system.

A Government spokesperson said: “As the Prime Minister has said, we will continue to provide support for pupils who would normally receive free school meals while they are not in school. Schools can provide lunch parcels or provide vouchers either arranged locally or ordered through the national scheme.

“Beyond that, as was the case over Christmas, vulnerable families will continue to receive help with food and other essentials such as energy bills over February half term via councils, through the £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme launched last year.”