Food vouchers for families over February half-term

Thousands of families in England could benefit from food vouchers as the February half-term rolls around.

Many councils are offering vouchers or cash payments to households with children who usually receive free school meals.

This support comes from the household support fund, a £421m fund aimed at helping those in need.

How much help will I get?

You could get between £15 and £20 per kid, depending on your council. Each local authority sets its own eligibility criteria, so the help you receive may vary.

Some councils are even providing cash directly into bank accounts, while others offer vouchers for energy bills.

If you haven't heard anything yet, check in with your school or council. They can tell you if you’re eligible and how to claim your vouchers or cash.

Where can you use the vouchers?

The good news is that these vouchers can be used in a range of supermarkets, including:

• Aldi
• Asda
• Iceland
• Morrisons
• Sainsbury’s
• Tesco
• Waitrose

Free school meals

Every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 is eligible for free school meals, regardless of your income.

After that, eligibility depends on certain benefits (e.g. universal credit or child tax credits) or low income.

For instance, if your household income is £7,400 or less, you may qualify.

What other support is available?

The holiday activity and food programme (HAF) offers free holiday clubs and meals for eligible kids during the school holidays.