Sutton Council has approved the use of council funds to ensure that food vouchers are made available for the whole of the summer holidays for children who qualify for free school meals.
The move came after the Housing, Economy and Business Committee on 7 July approved the use of additional funding from the Council’s earmarked reserves to provide food vouchers for the full six weeks of the school summer holiday to cover a shortfall in government funding. It was agreed as part of a package of support for Sutton’s most vulnerable households.
At the meeting on 7 July, the Committee agreed to approve funding of £270,000, to add to the £720,000 funding provided by central government, which means that Sutton families who qualify for free school meals can be safe in the knowledge that food vouchers will be provided for all school holidays up to (and including) February half-term.
Deputy Leader for the London Borough of Sutton, and Chair of Housing, Economy and Business Committee, Councillor David Bartolucci, said:
“We have plugged the funding gap for this year, but with the cost of living crisis continuing and inflation rising, we need long-term funding from the government to ensure that no child goes hungry.
“We’re standing up for every resident in Sutton and will continue to push for greater funding so that families know that next year they can continue to feed their children during the school holidays, which can often be a critical time for families on a tight budget.”
Schools will distribute vouchers to eligible pupils/families by 22 July which will be redeemable at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi, Morrisons, and Iceland.
There will be some families who are eligible for a food voucher but whose children do not currently attend a school (i.e. pre-school children or home educated), who will need to apply for a food voucher prior to each school holiday period.
