Birmingham Council Scraps School Holiday Meal Vouchers

Birmingham City Council has scrapped free school holiday meal vouchers introduced in the pandemic.

The Council said it was replacing the £15 per week voucher by providing a range of free holiday activities and meals.

The authority is offering free food boxes to 1,600 households which meet certain criteria but one mother, Gemma Folan, said the lack of food choices was a problem.

Folan said the scrapping of the voucher scheme comes at a worse time for low-income families in the city.

Instead of providing supermarket vouchers to parents whose children would usually receive free school meals, the council is offering boxes of set ingredients and hosting Bring It On Brum for 5-16-year-olds across the city.

This is something 39-year-old Folan said was not cost effective for many parents.

Food charities and anti-poverty campaigners, including England and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford, repeatedly clashed with the government over the issue of food for poor pupils during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly over school holidays.