Councils given funding to jeep vulnerable well-fed

Families will receive a boost of over £50 million this Easter, with councils given additional funding to keep vulnerable children warm and well-fed.

The Department for Work and Pensions has said that the scheme, which primarily focuses on food and essential utility bills for low-income families, has meant that councils can ensure that children in their area have the essentials they need.

The new funding comes in addition to the £170 million already allocated to the scheme from December until the end of March, and is on top of the previously announced Holiday Activities and Food Programme to support disadvantaged children during the Easter period.

The scheme will now run until Friday 16 April. The grants are primarily for helping families buy essentials, with at least 80 per cent of funds ring-fenced to be spent on food, energy and water bills, with 20 per cent available for other associated essential costs. Councils can also offer support to vulnerable individuals and households without children.

Every local authority involved in the scheme has already used it to provide food for vulnerable children. In addition, many areas provided further support thanks to the scheme, including white goods being supplied to vulnerable families in Cheshire East, and the creation of a winter clothing fund for children in Telford and Wrekin.

Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey said: “This scheme has helped thousands of vulnerable children stay warm and well-fed during the coldest months of the year. While circumstances remain difficult, it is right that we extend it to cover Easter, and I want any worried parent to know there is help at hand.”