Robert Halfon calls for extension of free school meal voucher scheme over school summer holidays

WRITING today to the Children’s Minister, Vicky Ford MP, Robert Halfon MP has expressed his strong opposition to the reports from Downing Street that the free school meal voucher scheme will not be extended over the summer holidays. The Government’s free school meal voucher programme covers the costs of £15-a-week vouchers for eligible children who are not in school due to closures.

Mr Halfon has urged the Minister to “reconsider this decision”, explaining that children and families must have “consistency”. The voucher scheme has been offered throughout the school closures due to COVID-19 and was extended to cover the Easter holidays and May half-term. He goes on to describe the scheme as a “lifeline” for those families in economic hardship, particularly amid the pandemic, explaining that “the extra cost of feeding their children over the summer holidays will make things even harder for those already struggling, or could even push stretched budgets to breaking point”. Mr Halfon, a champion of social justice, powerfully highlights that “holiday hunger” can have a major impact on a child’s educational attainment and “life chances”.

The Harlow MP has been a strong voice throughout the pandemic on the provision of free school meal vouchers to families during school holidays. Back in May, he led his Education Committee on a letter to the Children’s Minister enquiring about Government plans to extend the scheme over the holidays. As stated in his letter today, Mr Halfon has also successfully secured a backbench business debate in the House of Commons on the education of vulnerable children during school closures, and “intends to raise” the matter of free school meal provision in his speech. The debate, which has received support from around 30 cross-party backbench MPs, is expected to be granted time by the Speaker in due course.

Mr Halfon said: “These are extraordinarily challenging times for us all, but particularly for those families who face real health and financial anguish. It is vital that we maintain free school meal vouchers over the summer holidays. It will mean children from disadvantaged backgrounds will be able to be fed if they attend summer schools and catch-up programmes. It will ensure parents who have been made redundant or are looking for work are able to feed their kids.

“Reports have shown that around 3 million children are at risk of ‘holiday hunger’ and this can have an enormous impact on their attainment in school and performance in the classroom. If we are to boost the life chances of these children, we must do all we can to ensure they are properly fed and supported during the holidays. Statistics from the Department show that, in pilot areas of the scheme, infants receiving free school meals were two months’ ahead of their peers elsewhere. This is a no-brainer.

“That’s why I have written to the Children’s Minster today to urge the Government to extend the scheme over the upcoming summer holidays. I am pleased to have secured a debate in Parliament where I will be raising this further.”