LONDON – The British government will provide additional support to prevent families from starving or depriving themselves of basic necessities this winter, a climb after resisting Marcus Rashford’s football calls to extend free school meals to disadvantaged children.
The British Department of Labor and Pensions have said it will provide a new 170-million-pound program to local councils, with at least 80% set aside for food and debt support by the end of March, among other provisions.
The government has been under pressure to help low-income earners feed their children especially after many people lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, but parliament, where the ruling Conservatives have a majority, voted to extend free school discounts to schools at the end of the month.
Rashford, who spoke to Premier Boris Johnson on Saturday after his Manchester United team won the Premiership, said the move would improve the lives of nearly 1.7 million children, but added “much remains to be done”.