School meal fund promised after Rashford's campaign

Summary

School meal scheme extended for children in England after campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford
Reacting to the news, the Manchester United forward said "just look at what we can do when we come together"
The 'Covid summer school fund' works out as about £15 a week per recipient, and will cost about £120m
Latest updates on Tuesday, 16 June

Live Reporting

Jennifer Meierhans, Jay Vydelingum, Lauren Potts and Jay Freeman

Rashford wins the internetpublished at 14:41 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
There have been lots of plaudits to footballer Marcus Rashford for the way in which he's conducted his campaign.
Some even think he forced the government into a u-turn.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised his efforts:
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Comedian Danny Wallace is among those tweeting his thoughts:
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Meet the people relying on free school mealspublished at 14:28 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
BBC Breakfast
Sara lost her job amid the pandemic. Now she relies on free school meals.
The food voucher scheme has now been extended in England, after Marcus Rashford launched the #makeauturn, external campaign.
Meet the people relying on free school meals
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Labour leader congratulates Rashfordpublished at 14:17 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News
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Rashford's fast-footed appeal directly to public opinionpublished at 14:08 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Sean Coughlan
BBC News, education correspondent
As a striker with a killer instinct in front of goal, Marcus Rashford is used to beating defences.
And he's cut straight through a nervous defensive wall of Conservative ministers - leaving them wrong-footed and facing an embarrassing own goal.
A number of Tory MPs had already voiced their disquiet - and how many of them really wanted to find themselves up against an England football hero, and the risk of children going hungry?
Image source, Getty Images
The U-turn means the government will pay the extra £120m to extend free school meal vouchers across the six weeks of the holidays, available to 1.3 million children.
It's a one-off deal for the unprecedented pressure caused by the coronavirus - with food banks warning of growing demands.
But Rashford, and his 2.7 million Twitter followers, proved a tough target for the government - and he's beaten them with a fast-footed appeal directly to public opinion.
PM's statement on free school meals voucherspublished at 13:57 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News
The Prime Minister's official spokesman told a remote Westminster briefing: "Owing to the coronavirus pandemic the Prime Minister fully understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer."
He announced the Covid Summer Food Fund as "a specific measure to reflect the unique circumstances of the pandemic".
"The scheme will not continue beyond the summer and those eligible will be those who already qualify for free school meals," he said.
Referring to footballer Marcus Rashford's campaign, he said: "The PM welcomes his contribution to the debate around poverty and respects the fact that he has been using his profile as a leading sportsman to highlight important issues."
Lineker congratulates Rashford for campaign successpublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
BBC Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has tweeted his congratulations to Marcus Rashford in the aftermath of the government's announcement.
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What do the vouchers amount to?published at 13:34 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News
Children eligible for free school meals in England will get a six-week voucher to buy food over the summer, Downing Street has announced.
The support works out as about £15 a week per recipient, and will cost the taxpayer about £120m.
Almost 1.3 million school children in England - accounting for 15.4% of state-educated pupils - were eligible for and claiming free school meals according to the latest available data, external.
Official figures for 2019 showed the need was greatest in parts of London, the north and Midlands where between a quarter and a third of all pupils were getting the free meals.
Rashford reacts to government's school meal U-turnpublished at 13:19 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News
Footballer Marcus Rashford told his Twitter followers he was speechless over the news that the government had extended food vouchers for children eligible for free school meals.
The "Covid summer school fund' was announced minutes ago after a campaign by the Manchester United forward.
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School meal scheme extended after Rashford campaignpublished at 13:10 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Breaking
A "Covid summer school fund" is being set up by the government to help feed children during the holidays, after a campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford.
Children eligible for free school meals in term-time in England will get a six-week voucher, Downing Street said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed Mr Rashford's "contribution to the debate around poverty".
The Manchester United forward, 22, had called for a U-turn in plans not to offer meals during the holidays. Click here to read more as this story develops.
Free internet to help disadvantaged pupils studypublished at 13:00 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Sean Coughlan
BBC News, education correspondent
Free internet access is being offered for six months to help some disadvantaged youngsters study.
The scheme will provide 10,000 families in England with vouchers for internet access, funded by BT and distributed by the Department for Education.
Image source, Getty Images
Most primary and secondary pupils are still out of school and learning online. But there have been concerns about a "digital divide" with poorer pupils missing out.
School standards minister Nick Gibb said everything possible would be done to "make sure no child, whatever their background, falls behind as a result of coronavirus".
How do the FSM vouchers work?published at 12:44 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Many families that qualify for free school meals have been issued with either an electronic voucher or gift card worth £15 each week per pupil, to spend at supermarkets including Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose and M&S.
The programme, which has cost more than £129m since lockdown began, ran throughout the Easter and May half-term holidays, but currently will not continue in the summer holidays.
Image source, Getty Images
The Department for Education has said food parcels will still be available and schools that can't implement these will be allowed to offer vouchers.
It also pointed to a new £63m local authority welfare assistance scheme to support the most vulnerable families.
Read a full explanation here.
Bishop joins Rashford call over school mealspublished at 12:30 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Liverpool comedian John Bishop has supported Marcus Rashford in his efforts to force the government to U-turn its free school meal policy.
"The most basic thing we can do is support them over the summer," the comedian said.
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Tory MP says free schools needed in 'unprecedented crisis'published at 12:18 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Image source, PA Media
Conservative MP George Freeman has offered his support for Marcus Rashford's campaign to extend free school meals for children in England.
The MP for Mid Norfolk wrote, external: "This is an unprecedented crisis. The PM 10 Downing Street & Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been right to take unprecedented steps to help shield the most vulnerable.
"Free School Meals are a lifeline for many v low income families. Let's do the right thing: extend FSM thru summer."
Lineker says u-turn would be a 'breakthrough'published at 12:04 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
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'More children than ever face malnutrition'published at 11:53 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Jay Freeman
BBC News
More children in the UK than ever before will face hunger and malnutrition in July and August according to a prediction made by the country's largest food charity.
FareShare says if the safety net is removed on free school meals, many children will survive on foods with low nutritional value or skip meals.
Image source, Getty Images
“It’s not right that any child in this country should go hungry and we urge government to do everything in their power to prevent this from happening," the charity's CEO Lindsay Boswell said.
“We absolutely support Marcus Rashford’s call to provide support for those families who are suffering most as a result of the crisis, and all the bodies working to tackle childhood hunger in the UK.”
Read more about the campaign here.
Tory MP tweets support for free food voucherspublished at 11:44 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Conservative MP for North Dorset, Simon Hoare, has tweeted in support of providing food vouchers to those who qualify for school meals.
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Marcus Rashford urges MPs to put rivalries asidepublished at 11:33 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Marcus Rashford has renewed his calls for the school meal voucher scheme to be extended in England, saying people should consider struggling parents.
The footballer asked others to think about those who have had their "water turned off during lockdown" and children who woke up to empty shelves.
Image source, PA Media
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey replied that "water cannot be disconnected".
The comment was widely criticised, with Labour describing it as "snarky".
Rashford urged MPs to "put rivalries aside" when they debate the subject in Parliament later.
'They wouldn't ask for it if they didn't need it'published at 11:20 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
BBC Breakfast
A headteacher who helps put food parcels together told us parents would not visit food banks or ask for free school meals vouchers if they didn't need to.
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Marcus Rashford's letter to be discussed by MPspublished at 11:07 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Dan Walker
Presenter
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'Teenage boys are bottomless hunger pits'published at 10:53 British Summer Time 16 June 2020
Jane Keen-Smith is a mother of four boys and a self-employed hairdresser from Pershore in Worcestershire.
Underlying health conditions in the family - one son is severely disabled - mean she will be unable to work even once hairdressers reopen.
She told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme her family's vouchers were worth £60 a week and the prospect of not having the vouchers over the summer was daunting.
Image source, Jane Keen-Smith
"I'll have no income and we'll have no free school meal vouchers so it's going to make us stuck really because we're in a position that we've never been in before," she said.
"And so then we're left with zero, so we don't know what we're going to do."
Jane has had some help from friends and family during lockdown but teenage boys are "bottomless hunger pits" she says - so her budget is extremely tight.
"We're stuck in this position and we don't know how long it's going to be for." Read more parents' reactions here.