Supermarkets vouchers will be sent out to the families of children on free schools meals during the coronavirus crisis.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson invited schools across England to join the scheme to make sure families in need of support get help.
He said that the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were also being given the chance to sign up.
It is estimated that 1.3 million pupils are currently entitled to free meals.
Families on low income will be given a voucher of £15 a week for each eligible child - currently above the £11.50 currently paid to schools for the cost of providing free meals.
The decision recognises families, unlike school canteens, do not order in bulk and face higher costs for food.
Mr Williamson said that while some schools were making their own plans to ensure pupils continued to be fed, he hoped most would join the scheme.
He said that no child should have to go hungry as a result of measures brought in to control the spread of the virus.
“I really hope that this is something taken up by most schools. I think this will be a real big help to so many families,” he said.
“We are living in extraordinary times at the moment. It’s really important that we do everything we can do for families, make sure those children we really want to be able to support and help are getting that support.
“What we are wanting to do is just give schools that extra bit of support, give families that extra bit of support.”
The voucher plan was announced earlier this month when the government made the decision to close all schools.
They can be spent on food at shops such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer, although Mr Williamson said he hoped to get all the supermarket chains signed up.
After the school has joined the scheme the vouchers will be sent out by email directly to the eligible families by the Department for Education’s supplier, Edenred.
Alternatively, for those families which do not have internet access, the school can claim them on their behalf and send out paper copies in the post.
