Redbridge continues with school meals support this half-term

Redbridge Council has issued nearly 40,000 school meals vouchers so that children don’t go hungry over the half-term holiday.

Last year, Redbridge Council pledged to ensure that families will continue to receive food vouchers during all school holidays between now and the end of March 2022. All those who received vouchers in the summer holidays, October half-term, and Christmas holidays will receive a voucher again this half-term.

The Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Jas Athwal, said:  “Redbridge was one of the first local authorities to step up during the pandemic to make sure local children continued to receive food throughout the school holidays, to prevent children from going hungry. This February half-term, we will again be giving food vouchers to those families eligible for free school meals to ensure no child goes hungry in half term.

“Families across Redbridge continue to face the economic impacts of the pandemic, with the government ending the furlough scheme and slashing universal credit by £20 per week. Families are now feeling the added financial pressures of soaring energy bills, spiking inflation and the snowballing cost of living crisis at the hands of the government. Redbridge council is stepping up where the government has let children and families down.”

The food vouchers are funded by £2million that Redbridge Council has set aside, through the Household Support Fund (HSF), to support the Redbridge families and individuals most in need of extra support. Redbridge Council also recently allocated funding to the tune of £200,000 to local food banks across the borough.