5 February, 2021 Open access
5 February, 2021 Open access
Public Accounts Committee report recommends the Department for Education and DWP work together to allow more ‘flexible and responsive’ free meals support in future
MPs have criticised the limitations in claimant data sharing between the Department for Education (DfE) and the DWP for preventing Covid-19 free school meals support from being routed through the benefits system.
In a new report on the national free school meals voucher scheme in England - set up by the DfE through a private contract with Edenred UK Group Limited in March 2020 to provide continuing free school meals support while schools were closed to most pupils - the Committee highlights that the DfE's initial preferred delivery mechanism had been to provide cash payments to eligible families through the benefits system.
However, the Committee says that, with not all families in receipt of universal credit eligible for free school meals, and in light of the fact that the DfE does not share data with the DWP that would allow benefit payments to be targeted in this way -
'The Department ... concluded that it would not be possible, in the time available, to implement a support scheme through the benefits system by distinguishing families eligible for free school meals from other benefit recipients.’
As a result - and having also noted significant concerns about how the voucher scheme was set up and operated, including delays in issuing vouchers as a result of the DfE’s failure to understand how schools and parents would use the scheme, and a 'surprising' lack of concern about the profits its private contractor was making - the Committee makes recommendations for future improvement, including that -
'The Department should work with the Department for Work and Pensions to explore how data sharing could be improved to allow government to support families with children eligible for free school meals more flexibly and responsively.’
The Public Accounts Committee report, Covid 19: the free school meals voucher scheme, is available from parliament.uk
Update - 19 April 2021 - in its response to the Public Accounts Committee's report - published as part of the Treasury Minutes April 2021 - the government says that it agrees with the Committee's recommendation on improving data sharing between government departments, and that -
'In March 2020, the Department explored working with DWP and HMRC, to support families with children eligible for free school meals by increasing relevant benefit payments during the periods in which children were learning from home. This option was discounted as additional funding could not be specifically targeted to eligible pupils within the timeframe required, and vouchers would better ensure that children continued to receive healthy and nutritious food.
The Department works closely with DWP and other relevant departments on an ongoing basis, to ensure that government is providing support to children, young people and their families in the most effective manner. The Department will continue to work with DWP to consider if and where data sharing may improve the support available for families with children eligible for free school meals.'
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