MPs have voted against extending free school meals into the holidays for the poorest children in the UK, in the middle of a pandemic. They should under no circumstances benefit from free or subsidised meals out of public funds themselves. If the public purse cannot afford to feed the poorest in our society, why are we feeding those least in need? Already well paid public servants, set to receive yet another generous pay increase, whilst millions face hardship, job losses and poverty, do not need the public to pay for their food and drink. Public funds should be spent on those most in need of them. Read more about what expenses MPs can claim for food here: https://fullfact.org/online/mps-free-housing-alcohol/ UPDATE 23/10/2020: Portia Lawrie, who started the petition, said: "I only started this petition yesterday because I was so angry that some MPs had rejected the chance in parliament, and Marcus Rashford's campaign, to extend free school meals into the school holiday. I wanted to point out the clear hypocrisy between that and the food and drink the public subsidise for MP's whilst denying support to those most in need of it." "I couldn't quite believe what I was watching unfold as hundreds of thousands of people threw their support behind it in less than 24 hours. It’s simply unfair that the government is refusing to use OUR money for one of the most basic responsibilities of a compassionate society - feeding hungry children. And the level of support this petition is getting shows clearly the level of hurt caused by those who voted against it." "Many MPs are pushing for free school meals to be extended into the school holidays, and I applaud them. But It’s time for the government to listen to them, and us, and make sure children across the UK do not go hungry any longer. Enough is enough."

In just under a month the suspension on the Minimum Income Floor (MIF) for Universal Credit payments will end. [1] This may seem like an insignificant fact but the suspension of the MIF has been the only lifeline for self-employed people like myself and 3 million others who fell through the gaps in the various coronavirus employment support packages [2]. What the reintroduction of MIF means is that any individual who earns less than £1,322 (after expenses) per calendar month will be considered unemployed even if they submit a tax return. They will be expected to be looking for work for 35 hours a week and to take any job that is offered even if it might clash with their pre-existing self-employment [3]. Their existing profession will not be considered viable. My sector has been on standby on the instruction of the government in the interests of public health. My business is only temporarily interrupted because of the closures of venues which will eventually reopen, and yet I have not received a penny in Covid-related support from either furlough or the SEISS. Like many others like me, I have managed to survive on Universal Credit and/or through the generosity of friends. With the reintroduction of the Minimum Income Floor, not only will I be forced to close my business, I will also not be able to afford to retrain in anything that I have the potential to succeed at. This will force self-employed artists like myself into precarious unskilled jobs, if available, and poverty. Productivity will drop and recovery of the arts sector post-pandemic will be delayed by a generation. It’s also a real slap in the face to artists who already make huge financial and personal sacrifices to be able to create joy and escapism for other people. The arts are viable, and we’re important. For the last 8 month, we’ve been largely ignored by the government despite their assertions that they won't "leave anyone behind" [4]. The removal of the MIF will be the last straw. __________________________ References: [1] The Social Security (Coronavirus) Regulations | "Section 2 deals with MIF suspension. Section 10 deals with the expiry of this legisaltion which says "(2) Regulations 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9 cease to have effect at the end of the period of eight months beginning on 13th March 2020." | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/371/made?fbclid=IwAR1aIcgQ62JmRfKr98sKkQDlqJV_mO1En8rLb281xz_KGEHRJsPVuP3Fy7Y [2] Calculation for the 3 million taxpayers excluded from UK Government Covid-19 financial support | ExcludedUK | "Self-employed excluded: 1.6 million, CJRS excluded – ltd company directors: 710,000, CJRS excluded – other employees: 790,000" | https://www.excludeduk.org/three-million-breakdown [3] Universal Credit: Your Responsibilities | https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/your-responsibilities [4] "You have not been forgotten. We will not leave you behind. We are all in this together." | Rishi Sunak (Chancellor of the Exchequer) | https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1243235450908803072

This is a local route for our children to walk to and from school, it is also used by many children to get buses to and from school. Drivers will regularly go over 60mph on this road and unless we have speed cameras that’s not going to change After the tragic incident where a local resident lost his life due to a speeding driver, action needs taking!!

Many holiday makers have had their cruises cancelled because of the Covid 19 pandemic. Iglu cruises are breaking the law by not refunding customers within the statutory 14 days and some customer are having to wait 6 months putting them into a downward spiral of debt.

The coronavirus pandemic will dramatically increase unemployment and poverty. Many people are already struggling to put food on the table and this is only going to get worse. The government needs to act fast to stop children in the UK going hungry. A lack of nutrition at an early age can cause huge problems later on in life and stops children from being able to concentrate at school. One of the solutions recommended by the national food strategy is to expand free school meals and holiday hunger schemes from children for all households on universal credit. It’s a simple way to help ensure children across the UK are getting enough food to eat.

Many elderly people are confined to their rooms and in some cases bed-bound. Despite the best efforts of care home staff, they are heavily reliant on meeting family members to maintain a reasonable quality of life and mental well-being. The families of care home residents also experience great stress through not being able to see elderly relatives. Recent research has established that elderly people deprived of visits by family and friends will deteriorate both mentally and physically.

Imagine arriving to work five minutes late and having your pay docked. For anyone who depends on benefits, it only takes missing the bus to the JobCentre to be given a sanction and lose payments. With the UK economy going to be hit hard with job loses in the thousands, we cannot let benefit claimants have their money stopped or cut. During the height of the coronavirus crisis, there were no sanctions. The government stopped them for 3 months. We know that the benefits system can function without sanctioning people. But benefit sanctions are set to return in England. Huge public backlash could force the government to rethink their decision, and stop the unfair and cruel sanctions for good.

Rough sleepers across the country could be about to be forced back onto the streets. With day and night shelters still closed because they’re simply not safe, and the Hotels for the Homeless scheme ending, there’s simply nowhere for hundreds of people to go. The coronavirus pandemic is far from over. With some schemes coming to an end, the government must take urgent action to ensure alternative housing and shelter is put in place for homeless people so everyone can be kept safe, not just those who qualify for benefits. For many vulnerable adults who are homeless, this could be the difference between life and death. So, if you think everyone deserves a safe roof over their head, sign the petition for the government to ensure no rough sleepers are pushed back onto the streets.

As an older single dad (59) I am at significant risk if I contract Covid 19. I am my son's only living relative and as such if I contract the virus and either become very ill due to my age or even worse die, my son will be placed into care. I currently have 10 weeks worth of FSM vouchers I have been unable to redeem as the only way to do so is to visit the store, risking contamination and the threat of my son being placed in care as a consequence. I have a really low income and I feel it is grossly unfair that my son should go without the £15 p/w towards buying food because Morrison's won't offer this service online.

The government wishes to claw back the amount of £300 billion it has been forced to spend on combatting the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. The OAP's have worked hard during their lives to become eligible for the state-pension,and any necessary future increases in their state-pensions should not be withheld from them. The state needs to recoup the £300 billion spent on combatting the pandemic by other means,and not by removing necessary living funds from OAP's. This governmental proposal will affect myself and all other state pensioners. This could be done by saving on unnecessary government projects,such as HS2 rail & unnecessary and expensive armaments procurement.

Almost a fifth of UK homes with children are going hungry in lockdown. Families who usually get free schools have been promised government help while schools are closed but the reality is a litany of missed payments and problems with vouchers. It’s not good enough. As a single parent who uses the voucher scheme I have personally experienced the issues with the food voucher system. Multiple times I've been waiting for sometimes an hour or more just for the voucher website to crash. We only received the first voucher 5 weeks into lockdown, that's 5 weeks of struggling to give my child decent food. My child is just one of 1.3million who rely on these vouchers and it's just not fair. With the pandemic, it's harder to get out and shop, harder to get to a food bank if you need to, so these vouchers are a lifeline for families that need them. Experts like the Food Foundation are calling out the government for not doing enough. Children deserve to have food on the table. Together we can make sure no child goes hungry during this crisis.

The Government has chosen to ‘focus on new claimants’ by providing an extra £20 a week for people claiming Universal Credit. By doing this, they are discriminating against millions of disabled people on other out of work disability benefits. Disabled people are experiencing additional costs and risks as a result of COVID-19, but are without the extra support they need to manage these. As a result, people are having to choose between heating their home, or paying for a taxi to go and collect their medication because public transport is too unsafe. They are having to put themselves at risk by going to their local shop because they can't afford the minimum spend needed to get a free food delivery. Disabled people have been expected to survive on inadequate benefit levels for years. It is unacceptable that now, in a time of national crisis they are being left behind. The Government have, by increasing the rate for some, admitted that people need more financial support. They must now provide a better safety net for everyone. MP's and over 100 disability organisations have already called on the Government to provide parity between the support given to new benefit claimants, and the millions of people who were already on disability benefits. Will you sign the petition to ensure people aren't pushed into debt? Will you sign to ensure people's safety? Don't leave disabled people behind.