THOUSANDS of families are in line to receive free food vouchers over the school holidays this summer.
Those with children who are eligible for free school meals will get the £15 vouchers via the Household Support Fund (HSF).
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The scheme is there to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
Each council gets a different portion of funding depending on the size of the catchment area, population, and need.
The vouchers or grants on offer vary by location so you’ll have to check to see what you can get.
For example, thousands of families in Nottingham can get upwards of £30 in weekly vouchers to help with grocery bills over the summer holidays.
The help is being dished out to families who are entitled to free school meals.
In England, you are entitled to free school meals if your child is between Reception or Year 2 regardless of your income.
From Year 3 onwards you have to be receiving certain benefits to be in line for the meals.
The rules are different in Scotland and Wales.
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The best thing to do is check out your local council’s website for eligibility rules.
How does Nottingham City Council’s scheme work?
Nottingham City Councils will send weekly £15 vouchers to families with children eligible for free school meals.
It means that parents with two children could get up to £30 worth of these vouchers per week.
And if the council commits to sending vouchers out across all six weeks of the school holiday, parents will be eligible for £90 worth of vouchers per child in total.
The vouchers will be sent to all parents with children in reception, year one and year two.
Those with older children will only be eligible for the supermarket vouchers if they receive certain benefits which are listed on the Nottingham City Council website.
The vouchers will be sent digitally from your child’s school or via Edenred.
A 16-digit code can be redeemed online from a selection of supermarkets including:
- Aldi
- Asda
- Farmfoods
- Iceland
- McColl’s (including RS McColl’s and Martin’s)
- M&S food
- Morrisons
- Sainsbury’s
- Tesco
- The Company Shop
- Waitrose
What if I don’t live in Nottingham?
Other councils across the country may use part of the Household Support Fund to offer families with children eligible for free school meals supermarket vouchers.
The vouchers or grants on offer vary by location so you’ll have to check to see what you can get.
The best thing to do is check out your local council’s website for eligibility rules.
We’ve also covered similar schemes in Windsor, Sutton, Wandsworth and Devon.
What are free school meals?
Free school meals are available to millions of pupils across England, Scotland and Wales.
The idea behind them is that children get access to at least one nutritional meal per day from Monday to Friday.
But the criteria to get them varies across all three countries.
Scotland and Wales have committed to eventually rolling out the benefit for all primary school pupils.
At present in Scotland, all students can get free school meals between reception and year five, regardless of the parents’ income.
In Wales, all pupils in reception get free school meals, and by the end of the year, this offer will be extended to all year one and two pupils.
By the end of 2024, all primary school pupils in Wales will get free school meals.
In England, all children in reception, year one and two can get a free meal in school.
After that point, you will have to be receiving certain benefits which prove you need help paying for your child’s meals.
You might get free school meals in England for a children beyond Year 2 if you receive one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Tax Credits
- Universal Credit
In all three nations, you qualify if you are in receipt of certain benefits regardless of income including: income support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
In England and Wales, this also includes the guaranteed element of Pension Credit, and working tax credit.
But for millions of families on Universal Credit, there are income requirements.
In England and Wales, you must have an income of £7,400 a year or less, not including benefits.
Those on child tax credits must earn under £16,190 a year.
Because eligibility criteria can be quite varied, it’s best to contact your local council and see what you might be in line for, especially if you are on a low income.
How can I apply?
The application process for free school meals is different depending on where you live.
In England, you can find out whether your child is eligible on your local council’s website.
If your child is entitled to free school meals, they’ll also qualify for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme, which offers support over school holidays.
If you don’t know what council area you fall under, you should use the government’s council locator tool found online.
You should apply through your local council if you live in Wales and Scotland too.
In Northern Ireland, residents have to contact the Education Authority to get any help.
