‘I’m not sure how we’ll get by’: Families plead with government to extend school meal vouchers over summer

Teachers, charities, education unions and backbench Tory MPs have all urged the government to extend its free school meal vouchers through the summer – warning some children will struggle to get enough to eat without them.

No 10 and the Department of Education have come under intense pressure to reverse the decision to end the scheme in July after Manchester United star Marcus Rashford appealed to Boris Johnson to make a U-turn and ensure families receive them during the holiday.

One mother of three told The Independent the £15-per-child a week vouchers were a “lifesaver” – and revealed she had been forced to skip some meals before she began receiving them six weeks ago.

Paula Sarri-Gonzalez, a 29-year-old single mother with three children under the age of 10, said she has just £4.30 left for food each month once universal credit has covered her rent and utility bills.

The north Londoner is almost entirely dependent on £30-worth of vouchers available each week for her oldest two children, and one weekly food package of basics like bread and pasta dropped off by a local food bank.

“It will be really, really hard for us this summer,” she said. “I was struggling a lot before I got the vouchers and they made a big difference. It’s been a real lifesaver.

“It’s meant getting the things I need like nappies and toilet paper and making sure the kids get fresh fruit and vegetables.”

She added: “The vouchers actually make the difference between my kids having proper meals or not. At the moment I’m not sure how we’ll get by without the vouchers.”

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Amie Smith and her partner Marcus have four children, aged two, six, 11 and 13, at home in south London. Mr Smith, a delivery driver on a zero-hours contract, has struggled to get the same amount of work during the pandemic.

“The vouchers have been a really useful top-up to help us get enough shopping with the kids at home all the time,” said Ms Smith. “It does make things easier.”

“It’s such an unsettling time at the moment, so for the government to take that little bit of help away is not going to leave us and a lot of families in a good situation over the summer.”

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Headteacher Jon Barr, headteacher at St Barnabas Church of England Primary School in Bristol, said the food bank run from the school was now supporting 30 local families with regular food packages.

“The disappearance of the vouchers will make life very difficult for some parents when their budgets are so tight,” he said. “It wil push some people into even greater need. We will keep going over the summer, but can’t always guarantee we’ll have everything a family needs each week.”

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, the country’s biggest teachers’ union, said the organisation “fully supports” Mr Rashford’s demand for government to carry on providing the vouchers beyond July.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Disadvantaged families are likely to have been hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis, and the very least we can do as a society is ensure that children from these backgrounds have something to eat.”

There are signs of a backbench rebellion on the issue. Robert Halfon, the Tory chair of the Commons’ education select committee, said: “Marcus Rashford is right. No family should be unable to afford to feed their kids this summer. If we are really going to be the workers' party, we have got to support those workers when they are in distress.”

Tory MP Jason McCartney, another Tory MP, added: “It’s not about politics … It’s about doing the right thing for young people around the country.”

The food charity Sustain has written to education secretary Gavin Williamson threatening to take legal action against the government if ministers do not reverse the decision to end the scheme.

“Hunger has no respect for term-time dates,” said Kath Dalmeny, chief executive of Sustain. “Taking legal action is a last resort, but the time has come. Hungry children in lockdown cannot march to parliament to demand their rights, so this is why we’re speaking up.”

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On Monday Mr Johnson’s official spokesman confirmed the voucher scheme would still be ending when the term ends next month, but said the prime minister would respond to Rashford’s letter on the issue “as soon as he can”.

Despite the rejection, the England star tweeted: “We aren’t beaten yet.”

The spokesman also said that the government was giving £63m to local authorities to help all those struggling to afford food due to coronavirus.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Free schools meals are ordinarily term time only, and the national voucher scheme will not run during the summer holidays.”

“Thousands of children will also receive additional support through our holiday activities and food programme, which offers activities and free meals throughout the summer holidays,” the spokesperson added.

The Independent is encouraging readers to help groups supplying food to those in need during the pandemic as part of our Help the Hungry campaign – find out how you can help here. Follow this link to donate to our campaign in London, in partnership with the Evening Standard.