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Parents ‘try to use free school meal vouchers to buy fags and booze at Asda and abuse workers who refuse’


PARENTS are trying to use their child's free school vouchers to buy booze and cigarettes, staff at an Asda have claimed.

One supermarket worker in Hull said parents have abused staff when they explain they can't use the vouchers to buy non-grocery items.

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 One Asda employee has claimed parents are trying to buy non-grocery items with their child's school meal vouchers
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One Asda employee has claimed parents are trying to buy non-grocery items with their child's school meal vouchersCredit: Alamy

The added that only some - but not all - of the vouchers specify that they should not be used to buy alcohol, cigarettes or lottery tickets.

The worker, who did not want to be named, told Hull Daily Mail: "One guy came up with three cases of Carling, which were on offer for £21, no food or anything, and I refused the voucher.

"He said to me, 'I spend enough on them t**ting kids as it is'.

"I just looked at him. I couldn't believe he had said that to me, he was just so appalled that he couldn't spend the voucher on the booze.

"People are just idiots. They're selfish and greedy. It's a big issue."

The worker added it's become such a problem that "three or four customers per day" are trying to use the vouchers to buy things that aren't groceries such as cigarettes and Lego toys.

She said not all of the vouchers say if certain items are prohibited, and when they do then they can police it - otherwise people "take advantage".

The vouchers can also be used at at M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Aldi, Morrisons, Waitrose and McColl's.

They were introduced to subsidise the food children normally would receive if schools were open.

The Department for Education has been working with international firm Edenred to distribute the supermarket vouchers that are worth £15 a week.

The food voucher scheme came into place after schools shut across the UK on March 20.

The earliest schools will reopen is June, but some vulnerable children and some whose parents are key workers have still been going.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We are clear that the free school meals vouchers are for parents and carers to spend on grocery items and should not be spent on anything else.

"We thank all supermarket staff for their help in ensuring that these vouchers are used appropriately to give food to children.”

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