Vouchers to help local families with their food bills over the half-term holiday will be available thanks to an additional £203,627 of funding from the government’s Covid Local Support Grant scheme.
Families will receive a £25 per child supermarket food voucher during the half-term period which can be used up until 20 June 2021.
It is expected that over 9,000 vouchers will be used.
Those entitled to the vouchers are families with children who are receiving:
- Free school meals at school or who are being home educated but would be eligible for free school meals
- A free child-care place for two-year-olds or Early Year Pupil Premium for 3 and 4-year-olds in their nursery
- Using the Children’s Centre food bank
- Families with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)
- Children who are vulnerable and requiring support but not eligible for free school meals
- Pupils at 6th form and FE colleges who are entitled to free school meals.
Councillor Hannah Clare, chair of the Children, Young People & Skills Committee, said: “Once again I am pleased to see the extension of this grant funding to support families over the half-term holiday.
“However, we need to find a long-term solution for children in poverty and I urge the government to give families the assurance they need for every holiday, not just in the short-term during the pandemic.”
A range of supermarket chains throughout the city can be used by families including Asda, Aldi, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Iceland.
Families who are eligible will be sent an email or text with a link to where they can redeem their voucher at a supermarket of their choice.
