Free school meals - vouchers for supermarket - any news?

[magicmallow]

My son is eligible for free school meals due to his dad being on ESA.

I read that you can receive a £20 weekly voucher for this.

To date our school offered a collectable packed lunch daily, which we are unable to collect.

They have not offered an alternative, but I see the govt has mentioned this should be offered.

Does anyone have news on this? Is it only certain localities that offer the vouchers?

They would be a huge help at the moment, I'm not sure why it's taking its time in terms of info. They just said there would be a council meeting (a few days ago) with news to follow but no news since.

£20 is probably a bit ambitious.

£11.50 would be what schools are given I think.

My school is delivering fsm to families who can’t pick them up- have you asked if this is possible.

Schools are desperately badgering the government to sort out the vouchers - the delay isn’t at the school end.

My sons school just issued a voucher for £20 to cover us for 2 weeks. This is actually less than my sons FSM allowance if he was at school.. I really can’t be bothered anymore

This was on Friday so i know things change and i admit i havent kept up with change regarding this, but my head announced the vouchers were not happening and never were (maybe its up to certain LA discretion)
If parents were to ask we tell them packed lunch is available daily from the school.
As of Tuesday this week they gave a Facebook shout out and text message to say deliveries would be made to those that were self isolating.
Not sure if this is of any help.
I would ring the school and ask for clarification for those who cant pick up.

At my school we issued them Monday, it is £30 for two weeks and it is an Asda voucher. I’m in the West Midlands.

@ginga, is that for one or two children? If for one then the government need to step in and give more guidance to schools regarding the amounts as giving some an allowance of 15 per week and others getting only £10 especially if that amount is actually less than the schools usual FSM daily allowance is wrong

I am getting 15 a week. Should get it soon.

Our school will transfer £12.50 into your bank account. First payment was processed on Monday so they said to expect it next week

My kids school is the same. Only packed lunches that we expected to pick up daily. Looks like some schools just don’t want to give vouchers. I’ve had to decline aswell

They probably presume that if you can get your child to school/ collect them after school then you can go to pick up the packed lunch if you need to?
Although if you're a family isolating I'm not sure how this would work. Maybe this is when they will deliver.
I think it's a worry that these vouchers may not be spent on food for the kids and more on other things/treats by some families.

Same could be said for the food though, the parents could eat it themselves. I could get someone to go out and use the voucher once a week, but there is no way I could get anyone to collect lunches daily. My kids school hasn’t offered to deliver it either. How do some schools decide parents won’t spend it on the kids then? Since it seems more common to get vouchers? My kids school is a bus ride away as we didn’t get into a local one, taking them to school everyday isn’t comparable since we’ve been advised to stay in.

Across our MAT we are giving a weekly voucher of £11.50 per child. The trust bought the first weeks worth on Monday and I had final confirmation today that our families had all received the link to get them. They can choose between Asda, Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsburys. They are unrestricted and can be used as part of a weekly shop. Now we know it’s working the MAT will make the purchase every Sunday and the links will go out on Monday.

I'm in FE so students directly getting the £15 into their bank accounts. Sons primary is doing a grab bag - no word on if people cant collect

My friend’s son goes to a Co-op sponsored school, the free school meal kids there have received a £20 gift card that will be topped up weekly to spend in Co-op food stores. It will probably vary by school/LA what happens where you are.

At present schools can provide the food OR give a voucher. The government are trying to get a national voucher scheme up and running but that takes time .
Full guidance here

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools

If only people had crystal balls and knew that a parent would pass away/be too ill to work/a parent would do a runner/child would be disabled so can't get childcare....

If only people weren't so judgmental.

We've just had the option of picking up food from the school for them, but with me working from home I am saving quite a bit in fuel so can afford to get them food in for lunches at home. Much easier all round and much less time going places.

@exLtEveDallas

How did your school come to that figure? I assume that is per child?

I’m actually really disappointed with my sons school mainly because they are actually trying to hoodwink parents that are in an already financially precarious situation and in times like this trying to give families less money than they would when at school is wrong and will be telling them so.

4 paragraphs down it clearly states the government recognise parents will not be buying in bulk etc.. so why then as a school give less? The same amount is fair enough but less when even the government don’t expect this is mind boggling.

www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-set-out-to-support-pupils-eligible-for-free-school-meals

We got £11.50 - going to have to get creative and do the same thing everyday to cover lunches at that price.

My youngest receives school meals, from being in KS1.

We were offered a packed lunch option, to collect, and the school is not far at all. I initially filled the form ro have one, and then the second form came through. By the third form, I felt like I would be taking advantage of their resources, so we turned it down.

Ok for now, however with none of us at home working anymore...

@hoxtonbabe it’s the cost of a school lunch x 5 and yes, per child.

@Worriedmom2020 is that for one child? Seems a fair amount to make lunches for 5 days to be honest.

To date our school offered a collectable packed lunch daily, which we are unable to collect.

Why is it possible to go to the supermarket and collect food but not your DC's school?

We got £11.50 - going to have to get creative and do the same thing everyday to cover lunches at that price.

Some people are never happy. FWIW I manage to provide packed lunches for my three (older kids too so bigger portions) each day for about the same so I’m sure you can do it for one. Even in the holidays it doesn’t cost me £11.50 each for lunches!