The UK government decided to extend the free school meal provision
for children to ease the financial hardship caused by COVID-19 lockdown.
According
to the news report, Scotland and Wales will continue this support throughout the summer
holiday period. However, the government has said that the same will not be
extended for school children of England and Northern Ireland.
The issue of serving the coronavirus-affected children was
brought into the limelight by England and Manchester United footballer Marcus
Rashford. He led the campaign after the Department of Education originally said
that they would not extend the free school meal program during the summer
holidays.
The Infographic below highlights the figures from Food Foundation's Parliamentary Facts and Figures Briefing. The latest government
data shows that 1.3 million children are eligible for free school meals in the UK. However, it is anticipated that the numbers may increase due to the economic
impact of COVID-19 while extending the provision for the six-week summer break
would also bring the cost to around £117 million (£15 per child, per week).
Infographic by: Statista
