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All pupils qualifying for free school meals in England will be given supermarket food vouchers to cover the six-week summer holiday, in a £120m government U-turn as Boris Johnson caved in to pressure from campaigners including football star Marcus Rashford.
The announcement from Downing Street came just hours before the prime minister was due to oppose a Labour motion in the House of Commons demanding cash to ensure disadvantaged children have access to food over the summer break.
Manchester United and England striker Rashford responded in a tweet: “I don’t even know what to say. Just look at what we can do when we come together, THIS is England in 2020.”
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Downing Street said that the scheme – started to ensure that children forced to stay home due to the coronavirus epidemic do not go hungry – will end when schools return in September.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “This is another welcome U-turn from Boris Johnson. The thought of 1.3 million children going hungry this summer was unimaginable. Well done to Marcus Rashford and many others who spoke out so powerfully about this issue.”
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Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
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Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute’s silence
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NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
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Shoppers observe a minute’s silence in Tescos in Shoreham
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Firefighters outside Godstone fire station
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Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute’s silence at University College Hospital in London
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A school children’s poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute’s silence
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A man holds a placard that reads “People’s health before profit” outside St Thomas hospital
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Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute’s silence
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Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
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Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE
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Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute’s silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus
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Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow
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An NHS worker observes a minute’s silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
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NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital
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NHS workers hold a minute’s silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital
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NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute’s silence
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People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers
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Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall
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A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall
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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh to observe a minute’s silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
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Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence
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Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy’s Hospital
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A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall
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NHS workers during a minute’s silence outside Glenfield Hospital
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Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
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Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute’s silence
PA
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NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
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Shoppers observe a minute’s silence in Tescos in Shoreham
Getty
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Firefighters outside Godstone fire station
PA
6/30 Salford Royal Hospital
Getty
7/30 Salford Royal Hospital
PA
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Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute’s silence at University College Hospital in London
AP
9/30
A school children’s poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute’s silence
Getty
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A man holds a placard that reads “People’s health before profit” outside St Thomas hospital
Getty
11/30
Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute’s silence
PA
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Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
13/30 University College Hospital, London
Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE
AP
14/30
Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute’s silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus
AP
15/30
Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow
Getty
16/30 London
An NHS worker observes a minute’s silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Reuters
17/30 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London
AFP via Getty
18/30 Belfast, Northern Ireland
NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital
Reuters
19/30 Plymouth
NHS workers hold a minute’s silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital
Getty
20/30
NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute’s silence
Getty
21/30 Mater Infirmorum Hospital
People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers
Reuters
22/30 Waterloo Station, London
AP
23/30
Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall
PA
24/30
A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall
PA
25/30
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh to observe a minute’s silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
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Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence
PA
27/30 London
Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy’s Hospital
Reuters
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A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall
PA
29/30 Royal Derby Hospital
PA
30/30 Leicester,
NHS workers during a minute’s silence outside Glenfield Hospital
Getty
Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield, who last week wrote to chancellor Rishi Sunak appealing for a rethink of the decision, said she was very pleased that ministers have now “seen sense”, but warned: “Today’s announcement will help many families, but there will still be four million children living in poverty, a number that could increase following the Covid crisis. Tackling child poverty does not end here and should be the mission of every government.”
The government climbdown will benefit around 1.3 million children who would otherwise have had their free meal vouchers cut off when school term ends in July.
Paying for meals over summer will cost the government around £120 million. It comes on top of a separate £63 million scheme to help local authorities provide activities and meals to disadvantaged kids during the break.
The government climbdown will benefit around 1.3 million children who would otherwise have had their free meal vouchers cut off when school term ends in July.
Paying for meals over summer will cost the government around £120 million. It comes on top of a separate £63 million scheme to help local authorities provide activities and meals to disadvantaged kids during the break.
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Rashford won widespread support – including from Starmer and TV football pundit Gary Lineker – with an emotional open letter calling on the government to continue the voucher programme, which is widely backed by teachers and unions.
The 22-year-old spoke powerfully about his own experiences of relying on free school meals as a boy. During the pandemic he has raised large sums for food distribution charity FareShare which is distributing three million meals a week to vulnerable people across the country.
Despite the letter, Mr Johnson tabled an amendment to block Labour’s effort to extend the scheme in the Commons today. It is thought that the governemnt amendment will now be dropped.
Referring to Rashford, the PM’s spokesman said: “The PM welcomes his contribution to the debate around poverty and respects the fact that he has been using his profile as a leading sportsman to highlight important issues.”
The spokesman stressed that summer food vouchers were a one-off support offered due to the unique circumstances of the coronavirus outbreak.
“Owing to the coronavirus pandemic the prime minister fully understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer,” said the PM’s spokesman.
“To reflect this we will be providing a Covid Summer Food Fund. This will provide food vouchers covering the six-week holiday period.
“This is a specific measure to reflect the unique circumstances of the pandemic. The scheme will not continue beyond the summer and those eligible will be those who already qualify for free school meals.”
The government is yet to guarantee that classrooms will reopen for the autumn term in September, but the PM’s spokesman said: “It’s our intention to get all pupils back into school in September.”
It is understood payment will be through a one-off six week voucher given to eligible families at the end of term to use in supermarkets.
Tory MPs Robert Halfon and George Freeman, who had both rebelled to back Mr Rashford’s campaign, thanked the Government for its U-turn.
Mr Freeman tweeted: “Democracy. It’s a beautiful thing. When it works. Well done Marcus Rashford. Delighted.
“The Government can’t and mustn’t give money to every campaign: but this was a wise choice for any serious One Nation Conservative.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted: “Sensational. Marcus Rashford – you have changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of children. A true national hero. Thank you.”
The Child Poverty Action Group chief executive Alison Garnham said: “For many families struggling in the wake of Covid-19, free school meal replacements will make the difference between staying above water or not in the months ahead.
“This change is testament to the strong feeling across the country that a more compassionate stance and strong anti-poverty policies are needed so that children never go short of food in the UK.”
Helen Barnard, acting director of anti-poverty charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, welcomed the move, but warned: “Extending the voucher scheme into the summer will help ensure that we don’t see the hardship children are facing get worse in the summer holidays, but it only covers a minority of children in poverty and the pressures are much wider than just school meals.
“We are already soaring numbers of families being pulled under and having to rely on foodbanks to get through the current crisis, even with the voucher scheme in place.”
She called for an urgent uplift of £20 per week to families with children claiming Universal Credit or Child Tax Credits.
