Areas handing out up to £125 free cash to parents for food over half term – can you get help?

THOUSANDS of parents can get free cash worth up to £125 to cover the cost of food this half term.

The help comes via the latest round of the Household Support Fund which is worth £421million.

The fund has been shared by the Department for Work and Pensions between councils across England.

They have until the end of March next year to distribute their share of the cash.

Each local authority gets to decide who to give help to, and what type of help to offer.

Some are paying people money direct into their bank accounts while others are handing out energy vouchers.

But some are also handing out food vouchers to families eligible for free school meals over the coming months, including this half term.

Here are all the councils giving out help to hard up parents.

It’s worth bearing in mind, the help below is just to cover the cost of food over the school half term breaks.

But parents might be able to get other help from their local council via the Household Support Fund.

You should contact your local council to find out. You can find which council area you fall under by visiting www.gov.uk/find-local-council.

West Berkshire Council

West Berkshire Council is distributing a swathe of support to thousands of residents in need.

It is giving eligible households direct cash payments worth up to £300 as well as cash payments to pensioners.

It is also sharing £189,000 between 4,200 young children via free school meal vouchers, meaning each child on average will get £45 in vouchers.

Eligible children will receive three weeks’s worth of vouchers from their school to cover the Christmas holiday period and February half term next year.

Reading Borough Council

Nearby Reading Borough Council is handing out food vouchers to families whose children are on free school meals or pupil premium.

Around 3,900 households are expected to receive the vouchers, which will be sent from December and are worth £125 per household.

Councillor Ellie Emberson, lead for corporate services and resources, said: “The Council has designed a local package of support which directs this invaluable funding to households in Reading who will most need it this winter, which again includes families claiming pupil premium free school meals, care leavers and pensioners.”

Devon Council

Devon Council, in the South-West of England, has been given £5million to share among hard-up households.

It is using part of the multi-million pound share to carry on giving children eligible for free school meals holiday vouchers to cover school half term breaks.

The food vouchers will be distributed by schools to 22,000 pupils to spend during this half term, Christmas and February half terms.

The vouchers are worth £60 per child in total across the three breaks.

Slough Council

Slough Council is distributing £10 food vouchers per week per child to households in receipt of free school meals this half term.

The local authority is also handing out the vouchers over the Christmas two-weeks break, and February half term.

That means those eligible will receive vouchers worth £40 in total.

Ealing Council

Ealing Council is distributing supermarket vouchers to parents with children on free school meals.

Parents will receive vouchers across this half term, plus December, February and March breaks.

The vouchers are worth £90 per child across the four school breaks.

What about if I don’t live in these areas?

You might not be able to get school vouchers if you live outside these areas, but you may be eligible for other help.

Each council across England has been allocated a share from the £421million HSF pot.

But each local authority gets to decide its own eligibility criteria.

That means what you are entitled to will vary depending on where you live.

Not all councils have decided what they will do with their share of the £421million yet either.

The best thing to do is contact your local authority to see if any help is currently on offer.

What are free school meals?

The UK government funds free school meals for children in England who are attending a primary or secondary state school, free school, or academy.

Free school meals are provided for all children in reception, year 1 and year 2.

After year 2, some pupils carry on receiving free school meals if they are on certain benefits, asylum support or have a limited income.

The benefits that can qualify you for free school meals are: income support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and support under the Immigration and Asylum Act.

In England and Wales, you also get benefits-related free school meals if you are on the guaranteed element of Pension Credit or Working Tax Credits.

If you are on Universal Credit, there are income requirements.

If you live in England or Wales, you must have an income of £7,400 a year or less, not including benefits, to qualify for free school meals.

Those on child tax credits must earn under £16,190 a year.

In Scotland, those on Universal Credit must have a monthly income of £796 or less.

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