Understanding Holiday Hunger

The All-Party Parliamentary (APP) Inquiry into Hunger in the United Kingdom concluded that hunger will be an enduring part of the fabric of society unless urgent action is taken (APP Inquiry into Hunger, 2014).
As part of the Inquiry’s examination of the extent and causes of food poverty attention was drawn to hunger among school-age children and young people, particularly during the school holidays. The relationship between hunger and free school meals (FSM) is an important element of this phenomenon.
There are approximately 170 non-school days in the year when FSMs are not available to pupils (Graham, 2014). However, holiday hunger is not limited to families who rely on means-tested financial support with many households experiencing increased financial pressures during non-term time periods.
This article will explore the prevalence and impact of holiday hunger and the ways in which it may be addressed. The article draws on an interview with Ruth Smeeth (Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent North) who is vice-chair of the All-Party arliamentary Group (APPG) on School Food.