Children and families will get additional support this winter, with councils up and down the country receiving and extra £170m to ensure that vulnerable households do not go without food or other essentials.
Therese said: "We want to make sure vulnerable people feel cared for throughout this difficult time and, above all, no one should go hungry or be unable to pay their bills this winter. We know this has been a challenging time for many and we have consistently supported the lowest-paid families, protecting 9 million jobs with furlough and boosting welfare support by £9.3 billion. This package builds on that support and by extending our successful Holiday Activities and Food programme as well as funding a £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme we are making sure families get the help they need.”
Crucially, the government's Holiday Activities and Food programme means that Children will also be able to enjoy fun, enriching activities with a good meal during the longer holidays. Keeping our children connected through the year will help them perform better at school. The government already support pre-school children and expectant mothers from low-income families with the cost of nutritional food through the Healthy Start Scheme - and are raising the weekly payments from £3.10 to £4.25 - with babies get two payments per week.
