Birmingham council fails to meet half term meals pledge

The government is facing mounting pressure to provide free school meals outside term time

A council which pledged food vouchers for children over half term has admitted they will not be provided until after the holiday.

Birmingham City Council said it would step in to help pupils after parliament voted against extending free meals.

However, parents said they have heard "nothing" about the vouchers and accused the council of "a PR stunt".

As half term week nears its end, the council has now admitted it was not able to provide the vouchers in time.

A spokesperson said: "We will be providing food vouchers for all children on free school meals that can be accessed next week, which should help cover any extra costs incurred this week."

Birmingham City Council said the vouchers can be claimed when children returned to school on Monday

Despite a high profile campaign by Manchester United star Marcus Rashford, the government refused to support an extension of free school meals during holidays.

On 23 October, the last day before the half term break, Birmingham council leader Ian Ward said: "There are some 61,000 children in Birmingham who receive free school meals, so we will be ensuring they get provided with a voucher during the half term next week."

But on Thursday, the council said "the logistics involved" of arranging vouchers on the last day before half term made it impossible.

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It has meant parents like Tara, a single mother-of-two from Erdington, have yet to receive the help they were promised.

"We've not been told anything, we just heard it on the news," she said.

"Luckily I plan quite rigidly for half term and holidays, I've bought little bits over the past few weeks in preparation. I'm more worried about families out there with more than two children.

"It sounds like a bit of a PR stunt to make them [the council] look better."

Tara wrote to her MP, Jack Dromey, who defended the council who he said had an "impossible task".

He said: "The council had to step in on Friday, investing £800,000 to feed the 61,000 children in Birmingham but the problem is schools were closing down, and schools are the vehicles through which parents get these vouchers."

Birmingham has three of the worst child poverty hotspots in the country

However neighbouring council areas in Wolverhampton and Staffordshire, which also promised vouchers on the Friday, have been able to provide help.

Although both areas have fewer children on free school meals, Staffordshire County Council issued the vouchers over text or email.

In Wolverhampton schools issued 9,000 vouchers and the council is delivering food packages for children that may have missed out.

Birmingham City Council declined to comment when asked why it did not adopt similar approaches.