Peterborough families urged to check if they are eligible to receive supermarket vouchers to help them through Christmas holidays

Families in Peterborough are being urged to check if they are eligible to receive supermarket vouchers to help them through the Christmas holiday.

Vouchers to the value to £35 will be sent automatically to eligible families using school data and information held by the City Council.

Peterborough City Council is urging families to check whether they may be eligible for free school meals during term time, which in turn would make them eligible for supermarket vouchers in the holidays. Receiving free school meals not only saves families money, but also can provide a benefit for school budgets as well.

Peterborough City Council said that families currently paying for school meals would save around £450 a year for each primary school child if they were entitled to free school meals. Providing free school meals can add up to £2000 a year in Government funding to a school’s budget.

Who is eligible for voucher scheme?

Those eligible for the vouchers will be pupils who meet the following criteria:

Early Years Pupil Premium

Children eligible for income related funded two-year-old education

Eligible for income-related Free School Meals

Students eligible for 16+ bursary.

Information about free school meals, how to find if you are eligible to receive them, and how to apply can be found here: Free school meals - Cambridgeshire County Council – all that is required are basic details and a national insurance number.

When will vouchers be issued?

The Christmas holiday voucher will be issued by the end of the day on Saturday 17 December. The voucher will be sent by email and/or text to the nominated parent or carer. The voucher does not need to be used in a single shopping trip, but must be claimed by 27 January 2023.

Any child eligible for income-related free school meals, or any of the other criteria listed above, will automatically receive a voucher for the Christmas holiday. Any children who become eligible up to 2 January 2023 will also a receive voucher. This will be sent when the Council is notified of a change in personal circumstances.

The extension of the overarching Household Support Fund was announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement – the City Council will be publishing plans for its ongoing support in the new year.

‘I am delighted that we are able to offer this support once again’

Cllr Lynne Ayres, Peterborough City Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education, Skills and the University said the support would be crucial for a number of families this year.

She said: “I am delighted that we are able to offer this support once again. It will provide families with much-needed support at what can be a very expensive time of year.

“We also want to make sure that all families eligible for free school meals have applied and are receiving them. All they need to do is fill in a simple form and they could benefit from support throughout the year at school and also during the holidays. There really is nothing to lose.”