Government u-turns on Summer Free School Meal funding

As school meal caterers, and a charity advocating for equal access to good food for all, we are delighted that the Government has opted to extend Free School Meal funding over the summer holidays. We joined the campaign and appealed to the Government and our local representatives to support the call for more support - so we are thrilled to see this much-needed change. We welcomed Marcus Rashford’s passionate and relatable plea, and congratulate all those involved. A relief for many of the families that will now have greater access to food over the summer period.

Locally, food insecurity and child poverty is a very real concern; with over 35% of children living in poverty. Since the pandemic, we have seen in our recent survey that food insecurity indicators are increasing for many. Those already at risk for food insecurity over the summer - because this is not a new issue - will undoubtedly be a greater risk due to the rising financial pressures that Covid-19 is creating across the board.

Rachel Hall, our CEO, joined BBC Radio Solent to talk about these issues on Tuesday. You can listen again here, from 1 hour 10 minutes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08fxhtj

Are you eligible, and what to do if not yet receiving Free School Meals?

We have seen referrals into local holiday provision clubs rise, and Free School Meal numbers climb since the pandemic. Many people’s financial situation is changing. Therefore, we urge anyone who has not yet applied for Free School Meals and who is eligible, to do so - this will help ensure that your school can make sure your children benefit from this funding.

If you live in Southampton, you can check eligibility and apply so here, or through our local authority.

It is also important to note that this scheme, and the extended summer funding, is different to the Universal Infant Free School Meals scheme. UIFSM is designed for all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 - however, if your child is in these years group and you quality for Free School Meals, it is in your child’s best interests to make sure you apply for them.

In normal term time, your child will notice no difference; they will be served the same healthy, hot meal alongside their friends. However, applying ensures that your school can best support your child’s needs; often, other support systems are linked to a child being registered for Free School Meals.

In current times it is even more important that you register if eligible - as it can mean that your child is then able to best benefit from this additional funding, and other schemes.

Does this resolve what City Catering, and others, have been campaigning for?

Simply put, no.

This is a brilliant step forward in protecting children’s right of good food, and we can all take a breath to celebrate this.

However, we know that £15 a week for the summer holidays will not eradicate food poverty and there are many factors here - so there is still plenty of work for all those invested in supporting families to continue to do.

We, in particular, are focusing on delivering a support system over the summer period to promote healthy low-cost home cooking, to aid sustainability for families.

We also await the full guidance for what is being offered by the Government. We know not all schools are using the Edenred voucher scheme that the Government set up in response to school closures; some are opting for other means of support for what best suits their communities (for example, we are supplying weekly grocery boxes for many of our Member schools). The detail, the logistics and the mechanisms are all really key here to ensure no child misses out on what they are entitled to.

We will be keeping a close watch, and ensure we raise ours and any concerns of the Holiday Provision Steering Group and our Member Schools, locally and nationally.

We also know that many families not eligible for Free School Meals are still at risk; and we have 13 weeks of the school year where families ordinarily need support. The long-term impact of the pandemic is not yet known; but with fears of a recession, growing unemployment, and financial challenges, we have no doubt that our work, and that of others, is not done yet.

You can keep up to date with our developments by signing up for our newsletter, and following us on social media.

To support families over the school holidays that are at risk of poverty, you can donate here, or why not download a quiz pack and take part in our #quizzingforgood event. More details below!