ACTOR Emma Thompson has called on the government to protect children struggling to get enough food during the lockdown.

She said that ministers should provide emergency funding to help those who cannot afford essentials amid the coronavirus crisis.

Research by YouGov suggests that 2.4 million children live in “food-insecure” households and that, since restrictions to limit the spread of the virus were introduced, as many as 350,000 have had meals when they have not eaten enough.

The poll, commissioned by the Food Foundation charity, also found that two million children have been given smaller portions or cheaper, less nutritious meals because their parents have run out of supplies.

Ms Thompson, an ambassador for the charity’s Children’s Right2Food campaign, said: “What is undeniable is that our government has yet to extend real lifelines to those who cannot afford food.”

The charity is asking the Department for Work and Pensions to scrap the five-week wait for universal credit and double child benefit by paying it fortnightly instead of monthly.

A government spokesman said: “We continue to encourage schools to work with their suppliers to arrange food parcels or collections for families eligible for free school meals.”