Around 22,000 Sandwell children eligible for free school meals will receive £60 of food vouchers to help families cope with the cost of Christmas.
The vouchers are the equivalent of four vouchers to cover the October half-term, Christmas and February half-term holidays in one voucher.
Eligible families will receive £60 per child for parents and carers to spend at their local supermarket. Vouchers will be issued by schools in the run-up to the Christmas holidays, starting this week. Find out more about free school meals and eligibility.
The vouchers are being funded by Sandwell’s Household Support Fund (HSF) programme. HSF is money given to councils by the Government’s Department for Work and Pensions to help people in need of financial support.
Sandwell Council has received £3.4million in HSF funding to help residents for the period until March 2025.
The funding will also be used to:
- continue to provide Welcoming Spaces across Sandwell,
- support pensioners on a low-income who will not receive a Winter Fuel Payment
- financially support food banks, food pantries, foster carers, special guardians and care leavers,
- extend the council’s Holiday Activities and Food programme,
- financially support council tenants and private tenants who are struggling with the cost of living and to fund discretionary payments for people struggling to pay their Council Tax bill.
These vouchers will be issued automatically, so there is no need to apply.
Leader of Sandwell Council Councillor Kerrie Carmichael said: “We are committed to helping families cope at what we all know is an expensive time of year.
“I would urge anyone who is looking for help to visit our Supporting Sandwell information hub where there’s lots of advice and information available. Seek help as early as you can – getting help sooner rather than later can save you from more worry in the long run.”
Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for children and families Cllr Jalal Uddin added: “Sandwell Council is one of the few councils continuing to support families who are eligible for free school meals with these vouchers. We hope this will be a welcome boost to children and their families this Christmas.”
Visit the Household Support Fund webpage to find out how the council is using HSF money on a wide range of programmes to support people in Sandwell.
For anyone experiencing exceptional financial hardship, applications for crisis payments can be made via the council’s website
For details of all the support available for all households across Sandwell