Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department is providing to (a) schools and (b) local authorities to ensure that parents claim e-vouchers issued by them for free school meals.

As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

Our latest guidance on national voucher scheme is set out below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools.

During this period, we are asking schools to speak to their catering team or food suppliers to arrange meals or food parcels for pupils who are eligible for free school meals while they are staying at home. Where this is not possible, the department has developed a national voucher scheme as an alternative to support schools with this provision.

We are working very closely with our national voucher scheme supplier, Edenred, to ensure schools, as administrators ordering the vouchers for families, receive regular updates and advice regarding the scheme. There are also a number of online resources specifically aimed at schools and parents, including the following:

• parent and carer FAQs, which are available here:
  https://www.edenred.co.uk/Documents/DfE/DfE_FreeSchoolMeals_ParentCarerFAQs.pdf;
• a school user guide, which is available here:
  https://www.edenred.co.uk/Documents/DfE/DfE_FreeSchoolMeals_AdminUserGuide.pdf; and
• guidance from the department, which is available here:
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance.

Edenred has reported that over £101.5 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket e-gift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of Friday 22 May.

These are rapidly developing circumstances. We continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.