Labour has ended a school holiday meal voucher scheme that the party had previously advocated for, leading to its discontinuation by councils across the country. The schemes, which provided supermarket vouchers to families in need during school holidays, have been quietly scrapped by numerous local authorities.
This development comes after the Labour government revised funding rules for councils, replacing the previous Conservative administration's Household Support Fund (HSF) with a new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) in April. Under the CRF guidance, ministers have suggested that councils "prioritise funding efficiently," noting that "some free school meal eligible families may not routinely need crisis support during every school holiday."
This shift in funding and guidance has led at least 15 councils to end their holiday voucher schemes. Some parents reportedly received notification of these changes only in the final days of the school term. Councils nationwide have ended their voucher schemes, and some have yet to announce alternative support measures for the summer break.
The holiday voucher scheme was initially introduced by the Conservative government in 2020 to assist families struggling with food costs during school closures prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A national campaign, supported by Labour and fronted by England footballer Marcus Rashford, successfully pressured then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson to maintain the scheme.
At the time, Bridget Phillipson, now the Education Secretary, criticized the Conservative government's initial plans to cut the program, stating they were "faffing about while children go hungry." However, the current Labour government's approach has drawn criticism from the opposition. Tory education spokesman Laura Trott accused Labour of a "sleight of hand," asserting that despite government rhetoric about a "Great British Summer savings scheme," the changes to funding rules are leaving families worse off.
According to a survey by the Local Government Association, only two percent of councils believed the CRF's annual funding of £1 billion would be sufficient to meet local welfare needs. A government spokesperson stated that the £1 billion CRF is intended as a "genuine safety net" and that local authorities have been given the "funding and the flexibility to design support that works for their communities." The spokesperson also cited a survey of over 20,000 parents and carers, in which more than 90 percent reported the program helped reduce financial worries during holidays and made it easier for them to work.