Free school meals in Scotland are being replaced by direct payments to eligible families while pupils are not in school.
Food parcels delivered to homes in England to feed youngsters while schools are closed to most have been condemned as inadequate.
The firm contracted by the UK Government has apologised after one parent priced the ‘£30-worth’ of lunches she was issued at £5.22 from Asda.
#FreeSchoolMeals bag for 10 days:
2 days jacket potato with beans
8 single cheese sandwiches2 days carrots
3 days apples
2 days soreen
3 days frubesSpare pasta & tomato. Will need mayo for pasta salad.
Issued instead of £30 vouchers. I could do more with £30 to be honest. pic.twitter.com/87LGUTHXEu
— Roadside Mum 🐯 (@RoadsideMum) January 11, 2021
North of the border, however, local authorities have been making direct payments into the bank accounts of parents whose children are eligible for free school payments due to low income.
Payments made over the school holidays to entitled families have been continued while remote learning arrangements are in place this month.
Scottish Government guidance for schools states that arrangements for free school meals over the holidays should be continued throughout January.
Local authorities and schools should keep providing alternatives to eligible pupils who are not in school, which can include cash payments, supermarket vouchers or home deliveries.
What’s available in Fife and Tayside?
Across Dundee around 6,000 children will be supported with payments of £27 each for the period from January 7 to 22.
Councillor Stewart Hunter, the city council’s children and families services convener, said: “I am pleased that this scheme is continuing, as I know this made a big difference to families across our city.
“We know the impact that these payments have made to many families, with several parents getting in touch with us to share their appreciation of this valuable support while schools are closed to most pupils.”
More than 11,000 children across Fife will benefit from weekly cash payments of £11.50 in place of free school meals.
Fife Council confirmed last week that the direct payments will continue during remote learning.
Angus Council has also been making payments to eligible families, which will continue during the current restrictions.
Perth and Kinross Council agreed that direct payments would continue to families of children entitled to free school meals from the start of the term.
What happened?
A disabled mum posted a picture of the contents of her £30 food parcel on social media, stating that she could have bought its contents for £5.22 in Asda.
Priced via Asda:
Bread 89p
Beans 85p
Carrots 15p
Apples 42p
Potatoes 22p
Tomato 11p
Cheese £1.45
Frubes 33p
Pasta 10p
Soreen 40p
Bananas 30pPublic funds were charged £30. I'd have bought this for £5.22.
The private company who have the #FSM contract made good profit here.
— Roadside Mum 🐯 (@RoadsideMum) January 11, 2021
The package containing a loaf of bread, two baking potatoes, a tin of beans, cheese slices, two carrots, three apples, three yoghurt pouches, two Soreen snacks, a small bag of pasta and a single tomato was, she said, supposed to last her child 10 days.
Her post went viral and others shared photographs of similar offerings.
The firm which supplied them, Chartwells, said it had been asked to provide thousands of food parcels at extremely short notice but acknowledged the food was insufficient and has apologised.
It said the contents were intended to last five school days and had cost £10.50 for food, packing and distribution.
UK Government health secretary Matt Hancock said the contents were “clearly inadequate” and told BBC Breakfast that the Department for Education took immediate action when the photographs emerged.
Footballer Marcus Rashford, who campaigned for free school meals, has stepped into the row, sharing some images of food parcels which he said were “not good enough”.
3 days of food for 1 family…
Just not good enough. pic.twitter.com/Y7FJEFFAma— Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) January 11, 2021