Direct payments to take place of free school meals

Free school meals in Scotland are being replaced by direct payments to eligible families while pupils are not in school.

Food parcels delivered to homes in England to feed youngsters while schools are closed h av e been condemned as inadequate.

The firm contracted by the UK Government has apologised after one parent priced the “£30-worth” of lunches she was issued at £5.22 from Asda.

North of the border local authorities h av e been making direct payments into the bank accounts of parents whose children are eligible for free school meals.

Payments made over the school holidays to entitled families have been continued while remote learning arrangements are in place this month.

Scottish Government guidance states arrangements for free school meals over the holidays should be continued during January.

Local authorities and schools should keep providing alternatives to eligible pupils who are not in school, which can include cash payments, supermarket vouchers or home deliveries.

More than 11,000 children across Fife will benefit from weekly cash payments of £11.50 in place of free school meals.

Fife Council confirmed last week the direct payments will continue.

Across Dundee around 6,000 children will be supported with payments of £11.25 each per week.

Angus Council has also been making payments to eligible families, which will continue.

Pe r t h and Kinross Council agreed direct payments would continue to families of children entitled to free meals from the start of the term.

A mum posted a picture of the contents of her £30 food parcel on social media, stating she could have bought its contents for £5.22 in Asda.

The package containing a loaf of bread, two baking potatoes, a tin of beans, cheese slices, two carrots, three apples, three yoghurt pouches, two Soreen snacks, a small bag of pasta and a single tomato was, she said, supposed to last her child 10 days.

The firm which supplied them, Chartwells, said it had been asked to provide thousands of food parcels at extremely short notice but acknowledged the food was insufficient and has apologised.

It said the contents were intended to last five school days and had cost £10.50 for food, packing and distribution.

UK Government health secretary Matt Hancock said the contents were “clearly inadequate” and told BBC Breakfast that the Department for Education took immediate action when the photographs emerged.