Families Fears As ‘Holiday Hunger Bill’ In Danger

Fears that amendments tabled by Education Minister will deprive children of financial support during school holidays

A Private Members Bill sponsored by Danny Baker MLA aims to address the serious issue of ‘holiday hunger’ experienced by many children in low-income families during holiday periods. 

This Bill would allow families to receive financial payments during holidays in lieu of the Free School Meals their children would be receiving if they were in school. 

One of the few remaining stages for the passage of the Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill through the NI Assembly, namely the Further Consideration Stage, will take place on Monday 12th October.

The Education Minister has tabled amendments at the last possible moment which seek to re-write the Bill, placing commencement and the implementation timetable in the control of the Minister and the Department.

As it currently stands, the legislation would require the Department to begin providing support from the beginning of the next school holiday after the Bill passes.

Under the Minister’s amendments, parents and children would have no guarantees about when, if ever, payments might begin.

We are calling on all political parties and all MLAs to reject the amendments tabled by the Education Minister and support the Bill as it currently stands.  

We have already seen a number of examples of Bills which have become law but which have not yet been commenced. For example, the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Act 2022 received Royal Assent in 2022, and would have introduced ten days of safe leave per year for workers experiencing domestic abuse, but has still not been fully commenced through regulations by the NI Executive.

Speaking about the latest developments, Lauren Entwhistle from Atlas Women’s Centre said: “Having the Holiday Hunger payments would make a big difference to me and my children.

“We’re all struggling with the cost of living and trying to give our kids healthy food and we need help now when costs are so high.

“These payments would help take away some of the financial pressure we’re under and make sure our children are getting the regular, healthy and nutritious food they need to grow and learn.

“Children deserve to enjoy their holidays and take part in activities without feeling hungry or feeling different because their family is struggling financially. Making these payments is an investment in children helping to guarantee their health, happiness and future.”

The evidence for action is clear. Approximately 90,000 children in NI are entitled to Free School Meals. The NI Audit Office have said: “A failure to tackle child poverty early and effectively risks lifelong impacts to children’s health, education and general development.

“There is also a considerable cost to the public purse, with previous estimates indicating costs of child poverty to be between £825 million and £1 billion annually.”

At a time when it has never been harder to put food on the table, school holidays create a distinct and compounding pressure on family budgets.

The additional cost of feeding children who would otherwise receive a free school meal arrives at the same time as many other holiday-period costs: childcare, holiday schemes/activities, and the huge burden of school uniforms and shoes experienced particularly over the summer months.

The evidence from their work at Atlas Women’s Centre, is that families face a cascade of difficult choices when free school meals are not available:

• Adults skip meals altogether or reduce their own food intake to prioritise their children’s meals.
• Families purchase cheaper, less nutritious food and processed and frozen options replace fresh produce.
• Families take on debt – through credit cards or, in some cases, illegal money lenders – to bridge the gap, creating financial harm that extends well beyond the holiday period.
• The mental load of managing meals and making ends meet across holiday periods causes immeasurable stress and anxiety for parents, undermining the wellbeing of the whole family.

The provisions in the Bill as it currently stands are reasonable and proportionate given the scale of the hardship facing low-income children and families and will help prevent or alleviate these serious issues says Advice NI.

“I”n many ways this Bill is a relatively small, modest step: but a crucially important step. If not this Bill, if not our most disadvantaged children – then what, if any, action can we ever expect from our locally elected representatives.”

The Amendments that the Education Minister Has Introduced