By PM bows to pressure over free meals in school holidays
Marcus Rashford, the Manchester United and England footballer, has celebrated an apparent government climbdown which will see increased support for some of the nation’s poorest children with free meals during the school holidays.
The government has now committed to spending more than £400m to support poor children and their families in England. The government had previously argued that Universal Credit would provide families with enough support.
The winter grant scheme will be run by councils and provide support with food and bills. Initially, a £170m fund will be distributed via councils with at least 80% earmarked to help with food and bills. A further £220m investment will be made available to cover Easter, summer and Christmas in 2021.
The government will also commit to providing food banks with a £16m cash boost.
The Prime Minister phoned Marcus Rashford with the news yesterday following Manchester United’s 3-1 Premier League victory against Everton.
Speaking to journalists, Rashford said: “Following the game today, I had a good conversation with the prime minister to better understand the proposed plan, and I very much welcome the steps that have been taken to combat child food poverty in the UK.”
Rashford estimates that the move will help improve the lives of nearly 1.7 million children in the UK over the next 12 months.
