Over 20,000 supermarket vouchers, worth over £1.8 million, have been sent to low-income families in Devon to help them buy food over the upcoming summer holidays.
Each child currently eligible for free school meals during term time has received a £90 voucher to spend on replacing the meals they would have had at school during the day.
It’s the equivalent of £15 per week of the six week school holiday, and is being distributed in one lump sum now to allow families some flexibility on how they spend the vouchers and try to help with the additional pressure the summer period puts on household budgets. They can be redeemed in major supermarkets across Devon and arrangements are in place for families who cannot get to a supermarket.
The money for these vouchers has come from the Government’s series of Household Support Funds, which is allocated to councils for them to help residents who are struggling to meet their food, energy, water and other essential living needs.
We’ve been sending eligible families these holiday vouchers since December 2020 thanks to Government funding, and have so far spent over £11 million to help prevent children going hungry over the school holidays.
Councillor Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for communities said:
“It’s been a tough few years for many people, and now with food and energy prices rising dramatically, household budgets are really stretched.
“We’ve seen the number of families in Devon eligible for free school meals for their children continue to soar to the highest levels on record this year, with over 2,000 more children receiving support now than last summer.
“The financial challenges faced by some families can be intensified during the school holiday because of increased costs such as food, especially with the current cost of living, and reduced incomes due to childcare. We are concerned that for some, this year’s six week break is going to be especially difficult.
“Thankfully the Government’s decision to continue it’s ‘household support fund’ for now means we’ve once again been able to buy these supermarket vouchers to support families during the summer so their children don’t go hungry.
“We are continuing to work with our local government, voluntary and community sector partners to use the rest of Devon’s latest £10 million share of the Government’s Household Support Fund to make sure we identify those who are struggling so we can make sure they get the help they need.”
With the end of term fast approaching, we’ve already sent these supermarket vouchers to families whose children currently receive free school meals, so please check your inbox and redeem them. If you were expecting to receive the vouchers, but didn’t, get in touch with our team as soon as possible by emailing freeschoolmeals@devon.gov.uk or calling 0345 155 1019.
People’s circumstances change all the time, so if you didn’t previously qualify for free school meals but your income has recently reduced or stopped, please apply via our website. It’s the quickest and easiest way for your eligibility to be assessed and you will get an instant decision.
You can find out more about the free school meal holiday voucher scheme and other support available to help people in Devon with the rising cost of living on our website.
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