Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes

(asked on 8th February 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will investigate for what reason pupils eligible for free school meals attending independent special schools cannot access the Free School Meals Voucher scheme.


Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 16th February 2021

Independent schools, including independent special schools and special post-16 institutions, are not able to access the national voucher scheme as they have no statutory nor regulatory duty to provide free school meals, and are not funded to do so by the department.

Maintained schools and academies are supported by the scheme as both types of school are under a duty to provide free school meals under section 512ZB of the Education Act 1996. Non-maintained special schools can also access the scheme because they have an identical duty to provide free school meals to eligible pupils under the Non-Maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2015.

Where a placement in an independent special school has been funded on a discretionary basis by a local authority, any payments for meals, including meals where the pupil is absent from school, would be subject to the terms and conditions of the placement agreement.

If families need urgent help, they can contact their local council to find out what services are available in their area. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-local-help.

During February half term, vulnerable families will continue to receive meals and other essentials through the £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme, as they did during the Christmas holidays. Launched in November 2020, the scheme is helping families struggling with the costs of fuel and food and is ringfenced, with 80% earmarked to support families until the end of March 2021.

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