Northampton parents share contents of "£30" free school meal food hampers.Northampton parents share contents of "£30" free school meal food hampers.
Northampton parents share contents of "£30" free school meal food hampers.

Northampton parents share 'shameful' contents of taxpayer funded '£30' food hampers

The backlash has led to Government U-turn to offer parents vouchers again starting next week

The Government will once again offer vouchers for free school meals starting Monday after facing backlash from thousands of parents in Northampton and across the country.

This week's rollout of the food hamper scheme was met with widespread criticism after parents began sharing pictures of their meager parcels.

Below are just a sample of the countless images shared by parents who asked how the contents could add up to the reported figure of £30 in taxpayers money per box.

The issue has also brought criticism on private contractors used to put the hampers together, with national suppliers Chartwells receiving significant backlash.

One Northampton primary school headteacher - who asked not to be identified - told the Chronicle & Echo she has had to take the issue up with her catering contractors and their suppliers over the "totally inadequate" hampers given to her parents.

She told the Chron: "We have a catering company who provide out hot meals, and during this time we were allocated hampers per child.

"We passed on the numbers on to the catering service to make up the hampers.

"But they have been totally inadequate to feed a child for a week.

"The cost of our hampers was around £3.50 when they should have been between £12 and £15 minimum.

"I understand the caterers are contracted to purchase food from their own suppliers, who price their food higher that you could just get yourself with the money from Tesco or a supermarket.

"I would also say it's had to be put out in a rush because of the lockdown.

"We are in communications with our providers and they have come back to us with an alternative.

"We would have preferred the vouchers. It's been quite demeaning for our parents."

Out of a total of nine other primary schools in Northampton that the Chronicle and Echo contacted about the hampers, eight declined to comment or did not respond by time of writing. The remaining school said they had had no problems like what had been reported in the national press.

Meanwhile, Labour ward councillor Emma Roberts, who sits on the borough's food poverty scrutiny panel, responded to online critics who accused parents of being "ungrateful" for the hampers.

She said: "I think we need to start treating people with respect.

"Requiring financial support or being entitled to free school meals does not make you an inadequate parent or person. And it doesn't take away your concern for your child's nutrition.

"Some are saying to people 'be grateful because it's free'. To say that is suggesting that those people are lesser citizens who should just take what they're given and get on with it.

"For the quoted price of £30, a Dairylee and a bit of decanted pasta is not enough. The money has been provided and it's been spent inappropriately.

"The Government say they are now going to do due diligence - well they should have done due diligence in the first place. The lack of administration and the lack of accurate information provided is staggering."