Education chief Councillor Angela Mason

MORE than 16,000 children have been fed by Town Hall food vouchers over the winter and numbers are predicted to increase as more families are forced to apply for help.

The shocking figure lays bare the true scale of food poverty across the borough – despite north London’s clichéd reputation as being affluent.

Camden Council has been providing food while schools remain closed to stem the spread of the coronavirus and the Town Hall estimates it has distributed more than 500,000 meals since last March with the help of volunteers and community groups.

Education chief Labour councillor Angela Mason said the council had stepped in again while they waited for the government and its contractor Edenred to roll out vouchers.

The latest voucher scheme began distributing help on Monday.

Eligible parents are sent a code for a voucher that can be redeemed at eight major supermarkets. Families who spoke to the New Journal, however, have had mixed experiences accessing help.

A mother-of-three from Kentish Town said how her family’s circumstances had changed drastically in the past 10 months after her partner lost their job.

She said: “It was hard to go on Universal Credit during the lockdown. We felt so vulnerable. It was very tough. Things started to get really bad, so I asked about vouchers.”

Her children, at different schools, now receive £15 a week. “I have so many bills that Universal Credit barely covers – but I can only stay on top of that, knowing I have vouchers so my children don’t go hungry.”

A package meant to last two weeks

For her, and approximately 9,500 other Camden households, there is a looming fear over the government’s £20 cut to Universal Credit, set to be introduced in March.

She said: “I cannot stress enough how important that extra £20 a week is to us. Families like mine really do depend on that money. It is absolutely atrocious that they would even consider cutting it back.”

Others have found it harder to make ends meet each week – and say how even a minor delay in receiving aid can be the difference between eating or facing a bare kitchen.

A mother-of-one who lives in Swiss Cottage, told the New Journal that her family receives £150 a month after deductions from Universal Credit. She is also the main carer for her elderly father and combines her family responsibilities with searching for work.

“I got no food vouchers from my child’s school until last week,” she said. “They said they had none available at first, then told me I could have £60 worth to last a month.

One of the problems has been knowing if and when I’ll get the next one.” She was given an emergency government food parcel until her vouchers arrived – but it “was optimistic” to think anyone could survive on what was offered for the intended two weeks.

She said: “It had some pasta that had been split from another packet and put in a paper bag. There were six eggs, a loaf of white bread, a carton of UHT milk, two carrots, six tomatoes, a small piece of cheese, two potatoes, four yoghurts, a can of tomatoes, a can of tuna and a can of baked beans. It wasn’t nearly enough for two weeks.”

Her school told her last week it would soon move to a voucher scheme but were waiting for an update from the Department for Education.

Secretary of state Gavin Williamson said last week that reports of meagre parcels would be investigated.

Cllr Mason said: “Many families reliant on free school meals are also worried about the impacts of schools now being closed. We’re committed to ensuring that no one will go hungry as a result of this virus and so we are doing everything we can to support those most affected.”