Posted on Wednesday 18th May 2022
Thousands of people will benefit from help with food, energy and water utility costs.
Around 27,000 children and their families will be among those benefiting from £5.5 million pounds worth of help this summer.
Staffordshire County Council is distributing the money to households most in need of support to put towards the cost of food, energy and water.
At least 33 per cent of the funding will be spent on families with children and at least another third is earmarked for pensioners.
Mark Sutton, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Children and Young People, said:
This targeted distribution across Staffordshire will offer a helping hand to those who need it most.
Thousands of children will benefit during this month’s half term break, as well as during the long school holidays.
At the same time millions will be earmarked to help pensioners and low-income families make ends meet and even in some cases to help fund new, more efficient boilers for long-term savings.”
Distribution of the support will focus on four areas:
- Families of children who are eligible for free school meals will receive a £15 evoucher for May half term and a £30 evoucher for the two weeks in the summer holidays outside the Holiday Activities and Food programme. Early Years Children who receive funding for Think 2 and Early Years Pupil Premium will also be eligible. As with previous schemes, the evouchers for a calculated 27,000 children will be redeemable in most popular supermarket chains.
- All care leavers will receive a £50 evoucher to help with food costs.
- Working with district and borough councils to target others in need of support, including pensioners, to use as they wish on fuel, food or other essential supplies.
- Continue the work of the 2021/22 Winter Warmth Project to help those struggling to pay their bills or are dealing with a breakdown of their heating system. Eligible people will also have access, in certain circumstances, to top up grants for new, more efficient boilers.
The County Council has been delivering targeted support across the county since it introduced half-term food vouchers in October 2020 and subsequently taken up by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Those eligible for the different categories are in the process of being contacted.
Mark Sutton added:
This project really does make a difference and we hope it will help people through the summer months.”