FAMILIES are missing out on up to £1,500 from a little-known Tesco scheme.
The supermarket giant offers the grants as part of its Stronger Starts campaign.
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It’s available to schools and young person’s projects to give them a funding boost.
The cash can help provide a variety of things to young kids, easing pressure on parents already battling soaring costs.
Grants can be spent on anything from football boots and netball posts to sensory equipment.
They’re also available for activities that focus on providing food to kids such as fruit for breakfast clubs or snacks to enjoy throughout the day, and for equipment for outdoor and indoor activities.
Schools and parents are being encouraged to nominate their cause to partner charity Groundwork.
The team will then assess the applications and select the projects or schools that are most likely to make a difference.
Each chosen school or project will be allocated their own voting box inside their local Tesco.
Shoppers will then be able to pick up a blue token at checkouts and place it inside their chosen cause.
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The Stronger Start campaign replaces the former Tesco Community Grants funding programme.
Every three months the grant scheme will support 1,350 schools with £1.35million worth of funding in 675 communities across the UK.
The grants vary but highest amount that schools and communities can receive is £1,500.
Stronger Starts is being supported by Kiss FM presenter, Jordan Banjo, who said: “It’s hard for kids to dream big when they’re hungry but by nominating your local school or children’s group, you can make a massive difference to the lives of thousands of youngsters.”
If you want to nominate a school or group you can do so on the Tesco website at tescoplc.com/strongerstarts.
What other help can I get if I’m a parent?
It’s not just the Stronger Stars grants that are available to parents to help them with the cost of living.
There’s countless support on offer through Government schemes too.
First, you might be able to get help paying for the cost of childcare if your child is two and you’re on certain benefits. The benefits are:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
- The Working Tax Credit four-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Parents of two-year-olds can also get free childcare if they:
- are looked after by a local authority
- have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- get Disability Living Allowance
- have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order
Meanwhile, you can claim vouchers to feed your children worth up to £442 a year through the Healthy Start Scheme.
To qualify for the scheme you need be receiving certain benefits, including Universal Credit, Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Plus, you can get Child Benefit worth up to £1,133 a year if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16 or under 20 and in approved education or training.
It’s worth £24 a week for your eldest or only child and £15.90 for any additional children.
You have to actively claim the benefit though, and won’t receive it automatically.
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