SCHOOL holidays can be a stressful time for hard-up families trying to feed hungry mouths – but there is help you can claim.
Some children whose parents claim certain benefits like Universal Credit may normally get free school meals during term time.
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But that leaves families in the lurch when it’s the school holidays and they can’t get the free meals.
Some local councils offer supermarket vouchers that offer the equivalent of the meals your child receives in school.
Parents can usually claim £90 per child each week, however, this amount varies depending on your local area.
Where can I spend free school meal vouchers?
You can claim the vouchers in store at the following supermarkets:
Check with your child’s school to see if any supermarkets aren’t able to accept them.
Asda and Waitrose also allow parents to use the vouchers on an online shop.
Iceland recently announced that for every £15 voucher spent in store, customers will receive a free £1 on their Bonus Card.
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The money can also be spent at Iceland’s sister supermarket The Food Warehouse.
But keep in mind that this can vary depending on the terms of your vouchers issued by your council or school.
You’ll have to check with the school directly to see if any of the supermarkets didn’t make the cut on your specific voucher.
How to access help
The government has provided funding for free school meals since the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020.
It was meant to be scrapped that summer but footballer Marcus Rashford campaigned for the funding to remain in place.
The government left it to local councils to decide if they want to support free school meal vouchers after issuing £500 million through the Household Support Fund toward the end of last year.
The fund has given out supermarket vouchers and free cash to help with bills, among other support, since last October, helping thousands already.
Free school meal vouchers are part of this too, typically issued by email or text, allowing parents to scan codes at the supermarket checkout.
The help given to each family depends on the local authority. Here is what you can get in the follow areas:
Essex
Essex County Council is paying for meal vouchers to cover five weeks of the summer holidays.
The authority says parents can only use the vouchers to buy food.
The vouchers are for children and teens between the ages of 5 and 19 who are registered for free school meals.
The authority says it sent online vouchers to parents before the holidays began.
If you live in Essex and think you could be eligible, you can apply here.
Bedford
Bedford Borough Council is providing each eligible child £15 per week for six weeks.
This will be issued in one £90 voucher within the first couple of weeks of the summer holidays.
Families will receive their vouchers either via email, or through their child’s school.
The council says it expects to be issuing more than 6,000 vouchers to families in the area.
To find out if you are eligible for free school means through Bedford Borough Council, head to its webpage.
Cambridgeshire
More than 20,000 children across Cambridgeshire will be handed food vouchers over the holidays.
Parents will receive two supermarket vouchers, each valued at £37.50.
Vouchers will be sent out by text or email to parents.
The first voucher was distributed earlier this week and parents will receive the second on August 12.
To apply for free school meals in Cambridgeshire, click here.
Gloucestershire
In Gloucestershire, parents will receive £15 per child, per week from the County Council.
Vouchers were sent out between July 13 and 14 via email.
The council is reminding parents to check their junk and spam email folders as sometimes the vouchers can be sent there.
If you live in the area and think you are eligible for free school meals, you can apply here.
Devon
Families of primary, secondary and sixth form college pupils in Devon, who currently get free school meals will be sent supermarket vouchers.
The will be worth £15 per child per week of the school holiday.
Parents will be sent a code via either email or text telling them how they can redeem their vouchers online.
Pre-school children who are eligible will also receive the vouchers.
To apply for free school meals in the Devon area, you can follow this link.
Nottingham
Around 30,000 children from low-income households covered by Nottinghamshire County Council will receive £50 of food support for a five-week period.
This means that each eligible child will get a £50 of food support for the five-week period.
The Council says it has spent £5.6 million of HSF funding to provide food vouchers for children.
Parents in Nottinghamshire should check with their child’s school on how they will receive the vouchers.
Kent
Kent County Council is providing food vouchers over the summer holidays.
One £50 food vouchers will be provided to each eligible child or young person by their school or college.
Schools in the area may be distributing the vouchers differently, so it’s important to check with staff for details of how you will receive them.
If Kent County Council is your local authority and you think you are eligible, you can apply for free school meals here.
Sheffield
More than 30,000 children in Sheffield will receive a £50 vouchers to help cover the cost of meals during the summer holidays.
Families who are eligible will have been contacted by the council.
Parents will be emailed a vouchers and given instructions on how to redeem them.
If you live in Sheffield and believe you are eligible for free school meals. you can visit the council’s website.
Bath
Families across Bath and North East Somerset will be given vouchers worth £90 per child for the summer holidays.
They will receive an email from the council offering supermarket vouchers worth £15 per child, per week.
Parents will receive an email from the council offering them the vouchers.
They will then be directed to a website to redeem the vouchers online.
To apply for free school meals from the local authority, you can apply through it’s website.
Oldham
Oldham Borough Council is giving out vouchers worth £40 to families with eligible children.
It means a family of four with two eligible children would receive a total of £80 to go towards summer shopping bills.
Schools have been issuing the online vouchers since Monday, July 11, but families with pre-school aged children will be given their vouchers directly from the council.
To find out whether you are eligible for free school meals in Oldham, check out the council’s website.
Wakefield
Around 9,000 low-income families in Wakefield who receive Council Tax support will be sent a £60 online supermarket vouchers
The council will issue one online voucher via email later this month to each qualifying household.
It is part of the council’s local welfare provision which is designed to help vulnerable people in the area.
You can find out more and register a request online here.
Just because your council isn’t handing out supermarket vouchers, it doesn’t mean there is no support available to you.
For example with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham council you could be entitled to free school meals and clothing grants to help with school uniform costs.
Islington Council provides free school meals for children attending, children’s centres, early years centres, primary school or secondary school in the area.
The council can also pay you £150 towards the cost of school uniforms when your child transfers to secondary school from their last year, year 6, in primary school.
Lewisham Council provides free school meals for primary and secondary years if your annual income is below £16,190 and you receive one of the accepted benefits.
Who is eligible to apply?
Children who are eligible for free school meals must be parents who claim benefits. The benefits included are:
- Income support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act in 1999
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on paid for 4 weeks until you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
If your child receives free school meals during term time then they should be entitled to vouchers during the holidays too.
However, check with your local council as this can change between areas.
Try and apply through the website or school – but be aware that some deadlines for applying have now gone.
Can I get support if I don’t live in these areas?
Yes. The Household Support Fund is a scheme set up by the government to help cash-tight Brits with bills and essentials.
Each council has been given a portion of funding to distribute to their residents.
This can be via free cash, vouchers or discount codes, so make sure you check what your council is offering.
For example, Derby Council provides families with support during the school term break with up to £120 in free cash.
In Medway, residents can claim up to £210 in vouchers.
Also, if you find you’re not eligible but still need support, you can check in with your energy suppliers to see what grants are on offer.
Don’t forget to look at the government’s council checker tool help you find relevant support. Just type in your post code.
But don’t worry if you’re stuck or don’t think you’re eligible. Here are some contacts who will keep you afloat for the time being:
- National Debtline – 0808 808 4000
- Step Change – 0800 138 1111
- Citizens Advice – 0808 800 9060
