COVID-19 National Voucher Scheme

I know this is a very worrying time for many families up and down the country. I want to reassure constituents and businesses that the Government are absolutely committed to doing whatever it takes to see families and businesses through the worst of this pandemic.

As your MP, I want to ensure you are kept up to date with the latest news from Government, so I wanted to draw your attention to the new ‘national voucher scheme’ launched today (March 31^st) for children who are eligible for free school meals.

In the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 the Government has instructed all schools to close except for vulnerable children and those of vital workers.

I know many where concerned about what provision would be made for children who are eligible for free school meals, so I am incredibly pleased to see the Government taking action in this area.

Schools can now provide every eligible child with a weekly shopping voucher worth £15 to spend at supermarkets while schools are closed due to coronavirus.

Schools can continue to provide meals for collection or delivery themselves, but where this is not possible, the scheme will allow schools to provide vouchers to families electronically, or as a gift card for those without internet access.

The vouchers can be spent on food at a range of shops including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and M&S, with the Department working to get more shops to join the scheme as soon as possible.

The Secretary of State for Education commented “No child should go hungry as a result of the measures introduced to keep people at home, protect the NHS and save lives. That’s why we are launching this scheme to make sure children who usually benefit from free school meals still have access to healthy and nutritious meals while they are not attending school”.

I recognise these are incredibly challenging times for many families up and down the country, but I am confident this measure will help ensure that no child goes hungry as a result of our measures to tackle the Coronavirus.