Rejected petition Introduce food vouchers, instead of free school meals, during Covid-19 closures

Schools are closing due to the covid-19 pressures and growing numbers of families are self-isolating. Many children who are eligible for free school meals may miss out on their main meal of the day if not at school.

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Under current rules, schools cannot give the money that they receive for free school meals in voucher form or otherwise to families who are eligible. We need to ensure that the most vulnerable children and families are supported at this unprecedented time.

The purpose of this petition is to ask the government to change the rules, so that Head Teachers can give food vouchers to families eligible for free school meals during covid-19 related school closures.

This petition was rejected

Why was this petition rejected?

We can't publish petitions when the request is something that's already happening or something that has been announced since you started your petition.

We think your petition is covered by Government or Parliament action already. If you'd like something else, you could start a new petition clearly explaining what it is.

You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:

NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips

You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/

Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.

Date submitted 17 March 2020
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