Free school meals for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire children to continue during Easter

The scheme, which was initially introduced to cover term times, will now be extended to ensure eligible families are supported over the two week Easter period and will be in place regardless of whether a school is open or not.

Education leads, working across Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, have been working with schools to determine the best way to apply the scheme so that it offers the best support for their local families. In some instances, this may be in the form of packed lunches, food parcels or providing parents with vouchers to use at a number of local supermarkets.

Families who have not been deemed eligible for free school meals in the past may now be able to apply if their circumstances have changed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Families who are currently in receipt of free school meals do not need to reapply.

Jonathan Lewis, director for education at Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, said: “We understand this is a particularly difficult time for parents and for many the current situation is having a financial impact. I am pleased the Government has stepped forward and shown its commitment to supporting families over the holiday period.

“As usual our schools and local businesses have been fantastic and are putting the needs of their local families first and I would encourage parents to get in touch with their local authority to check their eligibility.”

Parents who are already eligible for free school meals should contact their school directly for further information.

Parents who are not already claiming for free school meals should check if they are eligible on the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough websites.

Meanwhile, the countywide Covid-19 Coordination Hub will be open as usual every day except Sunday over the Bank Holiday weekend as follows: Friday and Monday (8am to 6pm) and Saturday (9am to 1pm).

Some city/district coordination hubs may be closed over the weekend so check your local council’s website for information.

To help manage demand, staff will be taking emergency calls only on 0345 045 5219.

Non-urgent contact can be made via the online portals which can be found 24/7 at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus or www.peterborough.gov.uk/coronavirus.