Thread by @CPAGUK

With schools closing today, a short thread on #FreeSchoolMeals. We welcome the Govt’s acknowledgement that the extended school closures are a significant departure from the usual position in school holidays, where no formal provision is made for kids getting free school meals 1/n

This is an unprecedented situation and decisions need to be made quickly to give families as much certainty as possible as new systems are put in place. 2/n

As part of the Government’s emergency response, we would recommend an increase in child benefit in the form of an extra £10 per child per week to help families keep their heads above water in what is going to be a difficult and testing time. 3/n

Child benefit, which is already set up, provides a speedy, secure and resilient system to get money to families to help them meet the additional costs of children being away from school for an extended period. 4/n

Additional costs will not just be more food, but also heating, cooking and higher electricity costs as children take advantage of educational programming on tv and online. These costs will place a burden on all families but will hit those on the lowest incomes v hard. 5/n

And it won't be enough to just target those already receiving #FreeSchoolMeals - because many more children will become eligible if their parents lose their jobs because of #Covid_19 6/n

The best way to support families with extra costs is through an increase in child benefit. Supermarket vouchers have been proposed, but they will not meet all costs described above, and may mean families have to travel on public transport rather than pop to their local shop. 7/7