The government has warned it will take “any necessary action to rectify the position” if it believes schools are ordering too many free school meals vouchers.

In updated guidance published late last night, the Department for Education (DfE) said it is “monitoring voucher orders at school level” to “broadly check” they are in line with its own estimates for the number of eligible children.

If schools’ orders are “higher than expected”, the DfE will “take forward any necessary action to rectify the position”, the guidance states.

Related: DfE U-turn over funding free school meals in half-term

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“We are monitoring voucher orders at school level to broadly check if they are ordering in line with our estimates of the number of eligible children, recognising that for some schools this will be lower if they are providing food parcels, or using a local arrangement,” it says. 

“If a school’s orders are higher than expected, we may speak to the school about why this has occurred and will take forward any necessary action to rectify the position.

“A cross-check will also be done for those making a claim for free school meals funding via the financial support available for schools.”

The updated guidance adds that the voucher scheme will continue to be available for all eligible pupils staying at home after the May half-term.

The DfE’s national free school meals voucher scheme, run by private supplier Edenred UK, has been widely criticised over delays in families receiving the supermarket vouchers, worth £15 per child per week.

Earlier this month, MPs on the Commons education select committee wrote to the DfE to urge answers on what is being done to resolve “delays and issues” with the scheme.

And just two days ago the DfE was branded “beyond incompetent” for doing a U-turn on its decision not to fund the scheme over the May half-term.

The DfE said the updated guidance had been published in the interest of further clarification.

It said it wanted to ensure the appropriate checks and balances are in place to keep tabs on the figures, as the scheme is funded by taxpayers’ money.

Asked what the “necessary action” to rectify orders out of line with expectations might look like, the DfE refused to provide any further detail.