Eligible Hucknall families to get free school meal vouchers for Easter break

The Nottinghamshire County Council-run scheme would again be delivered using money from the government’s Household Support Fund (HSF), following the Chancellor’s announcement in the Spring Statement that he is doubling HSF investment to £1 billion.

The announcement comes after concerns were raised by some county councillors the scheme was not going ahead during the school holidays, with fears the council was instead prioritising play events offering free food to families.

Information on how to access the vouchers will be provided on the council’s website with a leading councillor confirming schools have also been informed about the voucher scheme.

Coun Michael Payne (Lab), at a full council meeting, called on the Conservative-led authority to outline the support measures it is offering struggling families this Easter.

He said: “Would the council please provide an update to the chamber and all elected members on the Notts Holiday Activity and Fund Programme provision for 2022’s Easter school holidays?

“I know this will be a concern for everybody across the chamber.”

In response, Coun Tracey Taylor (Con), chairman of the children and young people’s committee, said: “Nottinghamshire County Council will, once again, be providing the free school meal vouchers to thousands of Nottinghamshire children during the Easter holidays.

“The scheme will again be using money from the Government’s Household Support Fund (HSF) following the Chancellor’s announcement in the Spring Statement that he’s doubling the HSF investment to £1 billion.

“This is great news for the 25,000 eligible youngsters across the county, who will receive 125,000 meal vouchers.

“It confirms our ongoing commitment to helping low-income households as we continue to recover from the effects of the Covid pandemic.”

She added that parents in the county can find out if their child is eligible for free school meal vouchers by visiting the authority’s website here.

A link will also be provided on the Holiday and Activity Fund page.

Coun Payne welcomed the response but asked that information on the vouchers gets out to schools and parents ‘in good time’.

He said one school in his ward had put out a notice to parents suggesting the vouchers would not be available during the holidays and asked to ensure schools are now aware of the voucher scheme’s return.

He also asked whether Coun Taylor supported the Local Government Association’s proposed reforms which could auto-enrol families onto the free school meals system.

This, he said, would ‘take the obligation off the individual parent’ and bring 215,000 children nationally into the system without changing any eligibility criteria.

Coun Taylor replied: “I can reassure you the information was communicated directly to all schools this week – it has gone out already.

“I can’t see why, in any process for any facility, one would not seek to do some form of cascading or auto-connection, to actually make the lives of children and families easier in accessing the benefits and extra support they need.”

The value of the vouchers was doubled during the February half-term holiday from £15 to £30 per week.

The authority said this includes £15 to help feed the child and an additional £15 to help families meet cost-of-living increases.