Question: How do I use the National voucher scheme during the coronavirus outbreak to help provide free school meals?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Providing free school meals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
section_headers: National voucher scheme
section_content: As schools open more widely, and their kitchens reopen, we expect schools to
make food parcels available for collection or delivery for any children that
are eligible for free school meals who are staying at home.
Arranging food parcels helps ensure that eligible children have access to a
healthy free meal, and can also help the school to stay in contact with those
families. We know that many schools have made excellent food parcel
arrangements throughout this period.
If your school catering service cannot provide meals or food parcels for
children who are at home, you can continue to offer vouchers to families of
eligible pupils.
Before ordering vouchers, check which pupils are eligible and would be
receiving benefits-related free school meals.
We are monitoring voucher orders at school level to broadly check if they are
ordering in line with our estimates of the number of eligible children,
recognising that for some schools this will be lower if they are providing
food parcels, or using a local arrangement. If a school’s orders are higher
than expected, we may speak to the school about why this has occurred and will
take forward any necessary action to rectify the position. A cross check will
also be done for those making a claim for free school meals funding via the
financial support available for
schools.
For any voucher queries, please email:

freeschoolmeals@edenred.com for schools
freeschoolmealsparentscarers@edenred.com for parents and carers


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has information and points of contact for administering the school lunch voucher program.
This provides information about what the schools are doing in regards to free meals but does not address the system or how to order vouchers.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Bad

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Providing free school meals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
section_headers: National voucher scheme
Redeeming the vouchers
section_content: Once families have received their voucher, they will be able to redeem them in
store at the selected retailer by either:

presenting the voucher on a smartphone or tablet
presenting a paper copy of the voucher

Guidance
is available from Edenred for parents to help answer any questions they may
have.
Families are free to select the most appropriate food and drink for their
child. When selecting products, we encourage families to consider health and
nutrition. The School Food
Standards and the NHS Eat Well website may act as a useful guide for
families.
Vouchers must not be used for age-restricted items, such as alcohol,
cigarettes or lottery tickets.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has brief information about the lunch voucher program with links to more detailed information.
There are details about how to use the vouchers once you have them, but not anything about how to use the system to get the vouchers for free meals.

Reviewer ratings:
Acceptable
Bad

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance Providing free school meals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
section_headers: National voucher scheme
How to order vouchers
section_content: Schools have received an email from Edenred with an activation code and a
step-by-step
guide
to using the online ordering portal.
Once you have activated your account on the Edenred portal, you can begin to
order vouchers.
When ordering vouchers, please do so in an efficient manner to cover multiple
weeks.
You can:

order a single voucher to cover a longer time frame, for example, £45 to support one eligible child over 3 weeks
order a single voucher to cover more than one eligible child within the same household, for example, £90 to support three eligible children over 2 weeks
set a weekly £15 rolling voucher

Once you have confirmed the voucher’s value, you can either:

send an eCode directly to the parent or carers of the pupils(s) eligible for free school meals - they will need to choose an eGift card from a range of supermarkets
select an eGift card on the parent or carer’s behalf, and print and post the eGift card to them
select an eGift card on the parent or carer’s behalf, print the eGift card and arrange for families to collect it


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has clear information about how to use the national voucher program to access food.
There is detailed information about how to access and order vouchers on the system to get free meals, and walks you through the process.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent