Food vouchers for Notts families whose children receive free school meals

Schools will issue vouchers worth £15 a week per child to spend at supermarkets while schools are closed due to coronavirus.

Schools can continue to provide meals for collection or delivery themselves, but where this is not possible, the scheme will allow schools to provide vouchers to families electronically, or as a gift card for those without internet access.

The vouchers can be spent on food at a range of shops including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and M&S, with the Department for Education working to get more shops to join the scheme as soon as possible.

Ben Bradley, Mansfield’s MP welcomed the scheme, saying: “This is really welcome news and I know that it’ll be reassuring for families across Mansfield and Warsop. It’s vital that we help to ensure children get healthy nutritious meals out of school.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, said:“This is welcome news for schools and families.

“There may be some kinks to work out of the scheme, especially as it has been developed at pace, but at least there is some certainty available now.

“The government has done the right thing by ensuring that vouchers can be used at a range of different shops, making it more practical for families to use the vouchers.

“We’ll be working with the government to make sure this system works as effectively as everyone hopes it will.”