Petition · past parliament · Department for Education
Make free school meals vouchers available as soon as schools close in lockdowns
Closed
34 signatures
What the petition asks
In any future lockdowns, a supermarket voucher system must be operational in all areas where schools are closed, as soon as schools are closed, for families with children on free school meals. Vouchers, not food parcels, should be the default. Government guidance should be updated to require this.
Schools should give parents of children receiving free school meals vouchers as the default option during lockdown, instead of food parcels from schools' catering companies. During the January lockdown there were reports that the lunches being sent in a lot of cases amount to little more than £5 of the £15 allocated for food and that taxpayers are being charged. With vouchers parents can get much more to actually feed their children properly.
Timeline
| 21 Jan 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 21 Jul 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
34
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Education
Opened
21 Jan 2021
Closed
21 Jul 2021
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.