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COVID-19: Free School Meals Voucher Scheme

Inquiry

On 31 March 2020, as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department for Education launched a voucher scheme to help give the 1.4 million children in England eligible for free school meals continued access to meals while they were not attending school.

Schools joining the scheme can order shopping vouchers worth £15 per week for each eligible pupil. Parents can spend the vouchers at one of eight (expanded from an initial six) supermarket chains.

This inquiry will examine the findings of the NAO investigation into the free school meals voucher scheme, including the Department’s objectives and choice of contractor to run it; the scheme’s performance; and its forecast and actual costs.

The Committee will question senior officials at the Department for Education on the operation of the free school meals scheme, and whether it is meeting its objectives and providing value for money.

If you have evidence on these issues please submit it here before 6.00pm on Thursday 10 December.

Reports, special reports and government responses

View all reports and responses
Forty-First Report - COVID 19: the free school meals voucher scheme
Inquiry COVID-19: Free School Meals Voucher Scheme
HC 689
Report
Response to this report
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Forty-first report from Session 2019-21
HC 689
Government Response
Correspondence from Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary, Department for Education, re Free school meals packages, 24 March 2021
Inquiry COVID-19: Free School Meals Voucher Scheme
Correspondence
Correspondence from Susan Acland - Hood, Permanent Secretary, Department for Education, re PAC hearing on 17 December 2020 - Investigation into the Free school meals voucher scheme, dated 13 January 2021
Inquiry COVID-19: Free School Meals Voucher Scheme
HC 689
Correspondence

Oral evidence transcripts

View all oral evidence transcripts
17 December 2020
Inquiry COVID-19: Free School Meals Voucher Scheme
Oral Evidence
NAHT (FSM0001)
Ms Andrea Howard (School Business Manager at Truro & Penwith Academy Trust (at the time of using Edenred)) (FSM0002)
Ask Research (FSM0003)

Contact us

  • Email: pubaccom@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 8480 (strictly media enquiries only – contact us via our email for general enquiries)
  • Address: Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA