Free School Meals: Coronavirus

(asked on 14th January 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government which companies have contracts to supply free school meals during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what is the total value of those contracts.


Answered by
Baroness Berridge Portrait
Baroness Berridge
This question was answered on 28th January 2021

Schools are free to decide the best approach for their free school meal pupils. They can provide lunch parcels, locally arranged vouchers, or they can use the national voucher scheme which re-opened on 18 January 2021.

School catering contracts are agreed locally, either by the school, the academy trust or the local authority. The department does not hold a contract with any provider to provide free school meals or lunch parcels to children. We do not hold information on the total value of these contracts.

Schools will be able to claim £3.50 per eligible pupil per week when providing lunch parcels or meals, which is in addition to their existing free school meal funding, taking the amount available for a lunch parcel to around £15. If schools need to purchase vouchers locally, they can claim up to £15 per eligible child per week from the department, and all valid claims will be paid in full. We will publish further details shortly.

The contract with Edenred for the National Voucher Scheme will cover voucher provision between week commencing 18 January and February half-term. Schools are able to place orders for supermarket gift cards on behalf of parents and carers worth up to £15 a week per eligible child. If using the national voucher scheme, costs will be covered centrally by the department.



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