Free School Meals Over The Summer Holidays.

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about holiday hunger.

I am deeply concerned over the impact of rising food poverty on children.

I supported the campaign to fund free school meals over the summer holidays.

In June 2020, following extensive pressure from within Parliament, campaigners and footballer Marcus Rashford, the Government launched the COVID Summer Food Fund. The fund will enable children who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals to be supported over the summer holiday period. I pay tribute to the amazing work of Marcus Rashford and campaigners who pushed for this.

The cut-off to apply for the free school meals scheme over the holidays has passed. I am disappointed that this support is not available over the summer for newly eligible children. I believe it is vital that parents who lose their jobs over the summer can access the vouchers for their children.

In July 2020, a report published by the National Food Strategy argued that one of the miserable
legacies of COVID-19 is likely to be a dramatic increase in unemployment and poverty, and therefore hunger. It states that the effects of hunger on young bodies and minds are serious and long-lasting, and exacerbate social inequalities.

The Government must consider this report carefully and ensure that all children can get the food they need.

More broadly, I am concerned over the Government’s approach to schools in England during the pandemic; with little holiday catch-up provision and no plan for the autumn in the event of a surge in infections.

In June 2020, a £1 billion of catch-up funding to directly tackle the impact of lost teaching time over the 2020-21 academic year was announced. I believe this should have been made available earlier to pay for structured activities during the holidays to prepare children for a return to school in September.

The Government needs to have a plan about how it is going to continue to protect children over the next couple of years. It must step in quickly with excellent learning and extra social and emotional support.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP