A package of support totalling £1 Million to help eligible Plymouth families cover the cost of meals over the school holidays until Easter 2022 has been approved.
Plymouth City Council has been awarded a total of £2,294,796.82 from the Government’s Household Support Grant (HSG) to help support vulnerable households during the winter months with food and fuel costs. Part of this funding has to be used to support families with children.
The funding means the Council will once again be able to provide families entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) with vouchers to cover the October half term, Christmas school holidays, February half term and Easter school holidays.
Councillor Dave Downie, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and Education and Skills said: “We know that feeding children during the school holidays is hard for some families and they will still be feeling the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. So I am absolutely delighted that we have been awarded this money by Government to ensure we are able to continue supporting some of our most vulnerable families and that children do not go hungry.”
The unique food e-voucher codes will be sent city schools shortly for them to distribute to all families on their FSM registers for the October half-term. Each code can be used once to redeem vouchers to the value of £15 per child per week at various supermarkets.
The funding from the Department for Work and Pensions was confirmed on 6 October to support vulnerable households during the winter months, including with food and fuel costs.
The grant incudes a requirement to spend at least 50 per cent of the total funding on families to support households with children.
The food vouchers scheme comprise part of the funding (approx. £1m) allocated to the Council and a plan is now being developed which will set out the plans for the total grant amount.
Wonde Limited has been selected by the Council to support the delivery of voucher codes.