This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition End child food poverty – no child should be going hungry
Government should support vulnerable children & #endchildfoodpoverty by implementing 3 recommendations from the National Food Strategy to expand access to Free School Meals, provide meals & activities during holidays to stop holiday hunger & increase the value of and expand the Healthy Start scheme
More details
Covid-19 has been tough on us all but Government should ensure children don’t pay the price:
- 14% of parents & 10% of children have experienced food insecurity over the last 6 months
- 32% of families have lost income as a result of Covid-19
- Demand for food banks this winter is predicted to be 61% higher than last.
With the Child Food Poverty Taskforce, I am calling for Government to allocate money to
- Expand free school meals to all under-16s where a parent or guardian is in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent benefit
- Provide meals & activities during all holidays
- Increase the value of Healthy Start vouchers to at least £4.25 per week, and expand the scheme.
These 3 recommendations must be implemented without delay to #endchildfoodpoverty.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Parliament debated this topic
This topic was debated on 24 May 2021
Government responded
This response was given on 11 November 2020
We thank Marcus Rashford for highlighting the challenges facing families. On 8th November, the Government announced a comprehensive support package to help families through winter and beyond.
Read the response in full
Government have announced a comprehensive package of support to help families through the winter months, and beyond through the new Covid Winter Support grant, increasing the value of Healthy Start Vouchers and the national rollout of the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the longer holidays in 2021.
With Christmas coming, we want to give disadvantaged families peace of mind and help those who need it to have food on the table and other essentials so every child will be warm and well-fed this winter.
Through the Covid Winter Grant Scheme, we are delivering £170 million to local authorities in England starting in December to cover a period until the end of March. This fund builds on the £63 million already distributed earlier this year. This will allow councils to directly help the hardest-hit families and individuals, as well as provide food for children who need it over the holidays. Local councils understand which groups need support, and are best placed to ensure appropriate support is provided – which is why they will distribute the funds, rather than schools, who will continue providing meals for disadvantaged children during term-time.
The Holiday Activities and Food programme, which has provided healthy food and enriching activities to disadvantaged children since 2018, will also be expanded across England next year. It will cover Easter, Summer and Christmas in 2021, and cost up to £220 million. It will be available to children in every local authority in England, building on previous programmes – including this summers, which supported around 50,000 children across 17 local authorities.
Healthy Start scheme payments are also set to increase from £3.10 to £4.25 a week from April 2021. This scheme supports pregnant women or those with children under four who have a low income and are in receipt of benefits to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. This will help people boost the long-term health of their children.
The Government has also pledged additional funding of £16 million for food distribution charities, with conversations with FareShare and others ongoing as to how this is allocated.
Expand free school meals to all under-16s where a parent or guardian is in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent benefit
• Free school meals provide additional support to disadvantaged pupils, helping them to concentrate, learn and achieve whilst in school. We think it is important that this is targeted at those that need it most.
• In 2018, Government introduced new eligibility criteria for families on Universal Credit, following a consultation in 2017.
• It is estimated that this will be more generous in its reach by 2022, in comparison to the legacy benefit system.
• Further to this we included generous protections, which mean any family transitioning to Universal Credit will continue to have access to a free school meal even if they move above the earnings threshold.
• Universal Credit is a revolutionary benefit, which tapers away slowly as people increase their earnings, ensuring people are better off taking on more work.
• Our analysis in 2018, estimated that extending eligibility to all families on Universal Credit would result in almost half of all school pupils becoming entitled to free school meals.
Provide meals & activities during all holidays
• Building on the significant support given to the most vulnerable during the pandemic, a new £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme will be run by councils in England.
• We have supported thousands of young people through our summer Holiday Activities and Food programme, operating for the third year running. This will be expanded across England next year. It will cover Easter, Summer and Christmas in 2021, and cost up to £220 million.
• We have taken substantial action to support children and their families including:
- extending free school meals support to those eligible when schools were closed;
- providing more than £380 million worth of supermarket vouchers to families and schools through our National Voucher Scheme and the Covid Summer Food Fund;
- supporting our £35m breakfast club scheme to continue in schools in disadvantaged areas;
- extending our welfare support by £9.3bn;
- allocating £63m funding to local councils to provide emergency assistance to families with food and other essentials; and
- increased the safety net with income protection schemes, mortgage holidays and support for renters.
Increase the value of Healthy Start vouchers to at least £4.25 per week, and expand the scheme.
• The Healthy Start scheme payments are set to increase from £3.10 to £4.25 a week from April 2021.
• The Healthy Start scheme provides important support for the people who use it.
• The scheme provides a nutritional safety net to hundreds of thousands of lower income pregnant women and families with children under the age of four. It encourages a healthy diet by providing vouchers that can only be spent on fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables, pulses, plain cow’s milk and infant formula, and provides access to Healthy Start vitamins for both pregnant women and children.
• The Department of Health and Social Care made it easier for families to apply for and use the scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department removed the requirement for a health professional signature on the Healthy Start application form and has extended the validity period of the vouchers.
• This supported people, for example pregnant women who are self-isolating, to apply for the scheme and reduced pressure on healthcare professionals.
We thank Marcus Rashford for the work he has done in highlighting the challenges families are facing as a result of the pandemic.
We are actively keeping all packages of support under review.
Department for Education
Related activity
MPs to debate free school meals in the House of Commons
MPs will debate funding provision of free school meals over the school holidays this Wednesday 21 October in the main House of Commons Chamber. The subject of the debate has been determined by the Official Opposition.
This debate is in addition to any work the Petitions Committee choose to do on this petition. We’ll send another message about the Committee’s next steps for this petition as soon as possible.
The debate will start around 4pm, following the conclusion of the debate on fire and re-hire tactics.
Watch here this Wednesday: https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/9953142c-b63e-4140-9912-db2bf9f0597e
Find out more about how Parliamentary debates work: https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/debates/
What is an opposition day?
Opposition days are days allocated in the House of Commons for the discussion of subjects chosen by the opposition (non-government) parties. On Opposition days the House considers a motion that has been tabled by an opposition party, in this case the Official opposition.
It is open to the Government, or any MP, to propose amendments to the motion. Motions agreed on opposition days are not normally seen as binding on the Government.
You can find out more about Opposition days here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06315/
Petitions Committee Chair presses the Prime Minister on the Government's work to tackle food poverty
On Wednesday 13 January, Petitions Committee Chair Catherine McKinnell pressed the Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the Government's approach to tackling child food poverty.
Taking part in a session of the Liaison Committee, Mrs McKinnell called on the Prime Minister to trust parents and provide them with the money they need to feed their families.
Watch the session: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/e4b7e3bf-3021-41e4-863c-bdb264ef966e
Read the transcript: https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/1483/default/
What is the Liaison Committee?
The Liaison Committee is made up of the Chairs of the House of Commons select committees. It considers the overall work of all select committees, promotes effective scrutiny of Government, and chooses committee reports for debates. It questions the Prime Minister about policy, usually three times a year.
Find out more about the Liaison Committee: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/103/liaison-committee-commons/
MPs to question experts on child food poverty
On Thursday 21 January, MPs from the Petitions Committee will question experts about child food poverty as a result of this petition.
MPs will hear from FareShare, The Trussell Trust, The Children’s Society, and The Food Foundation. They will also hear from Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the Leon restaurant chain and independent lead for the Government’s National Food Strategy, and the Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield.
Watch the session from 3.30pm (and on demand afterwards): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asYW8-qF1-I&feature=youtu.be
This session will help to inform the debate in Parliament on this petition.
What has the Petitions Committee already done as a result of this petition?
The Chair of the Petitions Committee, Catherine McKinnell, has recently met with Marcus Rashford MBE who started this petition.
Watch the discussion with Marcus Rashford about his petition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GmZaCrW0Z8&feature=youtu.be
Read the transcript of the discussion: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/21611/default/
On Wednesday 13 January, the Chair of the Petitions Committee pressed the Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the Government's approach to tackling child food poverty, during a meeting of the Liaison Committee (which brings together the Chairs of all select committees).
Watch the Chair's question: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/e4b7e3bf-3021-41e4-863c-bdb264ef966e?in=16:04:56
Read the transcript: https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/1483/default/
The Petitions Committee also wrote to the Government in December, after the Government responded to the petition, to ask for more clarity on its long-term plans to tackle food poverty.
Read the letter: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/4033/documents/40470/default/
When will this petition be debated?
The Petitions Committee have agreed to schedule a debate on this petition. We'll let you know as soon as the date for the debate is confirmed. At the moment Westminster Hall, where petition debates usually take place, has been closed due to Covid-19 and social distancing measures. The Petitions Committee are waiting for these debates to be resumed so that it can schedule the petition for a debate. In the meantime, it is doing all it can to ensure that petitioners' concerns are heard.
Government information on free school meals expectations while remote learning
The Government has published answers to some commonly asked questions about the National Voucher Scheme and lunch parcels, including what to do if you don't believe that the lunch parcels you are receiving meet the guidance:
What is the Petitions Committee?
The House of Commons Petitions Committee is a cross-party group of MPs that looks at e-petitions submitted on petition.parliament.uk. It is independent from Government.
Find out more about the Petitions Committee: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/
Follow the Petitions Committee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoCpetitions
Watch a short video about how petitions work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGEOraE08Jk
Find out how Parliament works: https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/
Find out how to get involved in the work of Parliament: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/
MPs debate support for children eligible for free school meals
MPs debated support for children entitled to free school meals on Wednesday 26 May in Westminster Hall.
This was a general debate. General debates allow MPs to debate important issues, however they do not end in a vote nor can they change the law.
Watch the debate back:
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/5068d0e3-e938-4093-9b77-520982bf0db2?in=14:30:09&out=15:45:33
You can also read a transcript of the debate:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-05-26/debates/21052612000001/SupportForChildrenEntitledToFreeSchoolMeals
You can also now watch back, and read the transcript of, the Petitions Committee's debate on the e-petition 'End child food poverty - no child should be going hungry', which was held on Monday 24 May.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/554276#debate-threshold
Find out more about how Parliamentary debates work:
https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/debates/
Petitions Committee presses Government on plans to tackle child food poverty
The Petitions Committee has written to the Government to ask for more information on its support for families facing food poverty in the UK.
Read the Committee's letter:
https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/6391/documents/70047/default/
Following a Parliamentary debate last month on a petition started by Marcus Rashford MBE, which called on the Government to take action to end child food poverty, the Committee has asked the Government for more detail on a number of areas, including its plans to consider providing free school meals to more children, and improving access to Healthy Start vouchers.
The Committee also urges the Government to clarify whether temporary programmes to help families access food during the covid-19 pandemic will be continued or adapted, once restrictions are eased.
This follows news that the Covid Local Support Grant (funding provided by the Government to local authorities, to help them support vulnerable families in their area during the pandemic) will now be extended until the end of September. The scheme had been due to expire this month.
When the Committee receives the Government's reply, it will be published on the Committee's website:
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/
You can also follow the Committee on Twitter for updates:
https://twitter.com/HoCPetitions
Read more about the extension of the Covid Local Support Grant:
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2021-06-22/hcws107
Debate on child food poverty
Last month, the Committee held a debate in Parliament on the petition "End child food poverty - no child should be going hungry", started by Marcus Rashford MBE. The petition attracted over 1.1 million signatures before closing in April 2021, making it the most signed petition so far this Parliament.
Read a transcript of the debate:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-05-24/debates/B107A965-6D65-41D2-9F47-C6B24A1221B0/ChildFoodPoverty
Watch the debate back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eI7ftNahIU
Read a summary of key points from the debate on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/HoCpetitions/status/1396848566845460487
Read the petition started by Marcus Rashford MBE: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/554276
Government responds to Petitions Committee on child food poverty
The Government has responded to the Petitions Committee's request last month for more information on how the Government plans to tackle child food poverty in the UK.
The letter from Thérèse Coffey, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Minister responsible for coordinating the UK Government's approach to tackling poverty, provides information on the role of local authorities in providing welfare support. It also reiterates that any further changes to the Government's policy on child food poverty will be shared with Parliament.
Read the Secretary of State's letter to the Committee here:
https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/6854/documents/72432/default/
Read the Committee's letter here:
https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/6391/documents/70047/default/
Publication of the National Food Strategy independent review Part 2
The petition you signed, 'End child food poverty - no child should be going hungry', called on the Government to implement three recommendations from Part 1 of the National Food Strategy independent review, a Government-commissioned review into the food system.
Part 1 of the review was published last summer in response to the pressures of the covid-19 pandemic. On 15 July, Part 2 of the review was published, with long-term recommendations to improve the UK food system.
Part 2 of the review calls for eligibility for free school meals and Healthy Start vouchers to be expanded to all families earning up to £20,000 per year before benefits. It also recommends the Government commit to funding the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which is being run throughout 2021, for the next three years. These recommendations build on the calls from Part 1 of the review which were mentioned in the petition you signed.
The Government has said it will respond to Part 2 of the review within 6 months.
Find out more about the National Food Strategy independent review, and read Part 2 of the review:
https://www.nationalfoodstrategy.org/
Government announces long-term funding for school holiday food scheme
The Government has announced that it will spend £200 million per year to run the Holiday Activities and Food Programme in school holidays from next year.
The announcement was made by Rishi Sunak MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, as part of his Autumn Budget Statement. In response, Petitions Committee Chair Catherine McKinnell MP welcomed the funding but said there are still gaps in support which need further action.
Watch the Government's announcement:
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/a491e75e-ca0c-493c-8d5f-355dfd2adcf3?in=12:30:55
Read the transcript:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-10-27/debates/0B8990CB-67B6-403F-BD6D-838F5985D368/FinancialStatement
Read more about the announcement:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-and-spending-review-2021-documents
Read the Petitions Committee Chair's reaction in full:
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/158492/further-action-needed-to-combat-child-food-poverty-says-petitions-committee-chair/
The Holiday Activities and Food Programme was one of the schemes highlighted in the petition created by Marcus Rashford MBE last year, which called on the Government to provide meals and activities to children during all school holidays.
In its response to the petition, the Government said it had provided funding for the scheme to cover school holidays in 2021. However, it had not previously committed to continuing the programme beyond the end of the year.
Work by the Petitions Committee on child food poverty
The announcement of long-term funding comes after the Petitions Committee took evidence earlier this year on child food poverty and the measures announced by the Government in November 2020 to assist vulnerable families.
The Committee Chair Catherine McKinnell MP subsequently wrote to Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, asking about the Government’s plans for long-term funding for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme and other issues.
Find out more about the Committee's work on child food poverty here:
https://committees.parliament.uk/work/916/child-food-poverty/
Read the Chair's letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions:
https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/6391/documents/70047/default/
Read the reply from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions:
https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/6854/documents/72432/default/
What is the Autumn Budget Statement?
During the Autumn statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer updates MPs on the government's taxation and spending plans, which are based on the latest forecasts for the UK economy from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
The OBR was established in 2010 to provide independent and authoritative analysis of the UK's public finances.
Further information
Find out how to get involved in the work of the UK Parliament: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/
National Food Strategy and public health debated by MPs
On Wednesday 15 December, MPs debated the National Food Strategy and the matter of public health in Westminster Hall. The debate was led by Jo Gideon MP.
During the debate MPs discussed a range of issues, including school meals, support during school holidays, and the Healthy Start scheme.
Read what MPs said during the debate: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-12-15/debates/E73ECE13-1B99-4B73-86E9-E1B3E3360D1E/NationalFoodStrategyAndPublicHealth
You can also watch the debate on Parliamentlive.tv: https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/8aec0ef0-3b67-4e29-97d6-a4d62488267f
This was a general debate. General debates allow MPs to debate important issues, however they do not end in a vote nor can they change the law.
Find out more about how Parliamentary debates work:
https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/debates/
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
You can sign up to the UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.
Provision of free school meals debated by MPs
MPs held a debate on the provision of free school meals on Tuesday 7 May in Westminster Hall. The debate was led by Munira Wilson MP.
The Minister for Schools, Damian Hinds MP, responded on behalf of the Government.
During the debate MPs discussed the value of free school meals for children's health, well-being and educational attainment.
In response, the Minister outlined the extent of free school meal support currently in place and the vital role it plays in supporting disadvantaged children.
What is a Westminster Hall debate?
Westminster Hall is the second chamber of the House of Commons. Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local and national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Westminster Hall debates are general debates that do not end in a vote.
Visual explainer: Westminster Hall debates
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
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