Posted on Wednesday 20th October 2021
During the summer the authority teamed up with 22 local providers who delivered more than 40,000 activity places and food items over several weeks.
Millions of pounds will be spent supporting thousands of low-income families and vulnerable households this winter.
Staffordshire County Council will distribute £5.5 million to young and old alike during the Christmas holidays, February half term and Easter 2022 to help with the costs of food and fuel.
Recipients will include families with school age children eligible for free school meals who will receive vouchers, while older couples and individuals who access benefits or who have recently been made redundant can find support for essential bills.
Mark Sutton, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Children and Young People, said:
For the last 12 months we have been supporting thousands of children – and their families – though school holidays with either the distribution of evouchers to parents, or the provision of food and activities across the county.
Now this latest money from the Department of Work and Pensions for £5.5 million will help around 29,000 children and the households most in need of support with their food, energy and water bills this winter.”
Eligible families will receive evouchers worth £15 per child per week for the three holiday periods, which will be used at several supermarkets including Aldi, ASDA, Morrison’s, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose.
Separate to the food vouchers, households will also be able to apply for support for essential bills, including water, gas and electricity.
Mark Sutton said:
We will be publicising soon how people can access this support and I would urge everyone who is eligible to apply for it as all the money must be allocated by the end of March.”
Since last October the County Council has supplied evouchers to low-income families during school holidays.
And during the summer the authority teamed up with 22 local providers who delivered more than 40,000 activity places and food items over several weeks.