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

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.