Council can only afford two weeks of holiday meal vouchers

A plan which will see meal vouchers for struggling families only provided for the first two weeks of the summer school holiday has been backed by councillors.

Another £3.95 million has been promised to the county by the government to be used between now and the end of September on helping those most in need, but the latest round of funding has come with the stipulation that at least one-third of the money has to be spent on pensioners – meaning a cut to the amount available solely to struggling families and their children.

As a result, Worcestershire County Council said it would only be providing meal vouchers for the first two weeks of the school summer holiday.

The plan was backed by the council’s cabinet at a meeting at County Hall on Friday (July 1).

Cllr Marcus Hart, cabinet member for communities, said providing free meal vouchers for families in the first two weeks of the summer holiday was all the council could afford under the government’s new rules.

“There has been a reduction specifically for families and children from 50 per cent to 33 per cent but of course we have to follow the parameters of government.

“I think what the government is trying to do is ensure that the cash resource is allocated to protect all vulnerable residents across the county.

“No doubt one will ask why we are funding two weeks and not the whole of the six weeks. Within the resource allocation that we have been given, we have spent every penny, and in terms of the Easter holiday funding, the half-term holiday funding and the first two weeks takes us just about to the funding that we have got to be able to afford to be able to ensure that everybody who is entitled gets funding.”

Cllr Hart said other support would be available for struggling families during the summer.

Cabinet papers show that £1 million will be spent on providing the 15,000 children and young people in Worcestershire with free meals during the summer holiday – but only for the first fortnight.

On top of that, just over £1 million will be used to help hard-up pensioners and another million pounds will be used to help those struggling with energy costs.