A local shop handing out packed lunches to children has criticised a local council for ending vouchers for free school meals.
Fairstead Community Shop in King's Lynn, Norfolk, has been giving the meals out over the Easter holidays.
Shop employee Emma Brock told the BBC the local council needed a "reality check" for stopping vouchers for free school meals.
The government began paying for free school meals in the first Covid-19 lockdown, in March 2020.
Footballer Marcus Rashford campaigned to keep the free school meals, but the government then allowed local councils to decide if they kept the vouchers or not.
The government had provided funding for free school meals during the first coronavirus lockdown from March 2020.
A campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford kept it going initially, but the government then left it to local councils to decide if they want to support free school meal vouchers after issuing £500million through the Household Support Fund.
What issues have you found with the free school meals system? Let us know in the comments below
This funding received a £500million boost in the Spring Statement last month, meaning it will continue to be an option for parents amid soaring inflation.
Brock said it was "horrible seeing families struggling" when Norfolk County Council ended its own voucher scheme.
She added: ""You go 10 miles up the road to Cambridgeshire and they've still got their vouchers. I'm angry for the families and hurt."
Brock said the council needed to "step up and do something for the next holidays".
The council told the BBC that anyone facing financial trouble should make a claim to its assistance scheme.
Local mum Rachael, who was previously eligible for free school meal vouchers, said: "Fuel, electric, food - all those prices have gone up but they're not putting up wages or benefits.
"Everyone has got to try and struggle with all these extras and then it makes it harder in the holidays when we've got to feed them; Emma is a superstar."
Norfolk County Council leader Andrew Proctor said: "The increased cost of living is hitting many more people hard now and we understand that.
"We want to help as many as we can who are facing financial hardship. Government has allocated new money for our hardship fund and we are creating a new scheme that reaches that much broader range of people - children and families facing hardship; families with younger children, pensioners, people with disabilities, unpaid carers and other vulnerable households in Norfolk."
Is my child entitled to free school meals?
Eligibility for free school meals varies slightly between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland because each nation sets its own rules.
However, children from households who claim the following support are typically eligible from the ages of 4 to 16:
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of pension credit
- Child tax credit (provided you’re not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual income of no more than £16,190)
- Working tax credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for working tax credit
- Universal Credit - if you applied on or after April 1, 2018 your household income is less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Separately, in England all pupils in reception and year's one and two, regardless of income, can get free school meals during term time in state schools.
In Scotland, children in primary, year's one, two and three can claim free school meals regardless of family income.
