Families that have been hardest hit by the pandemic and need extra support this winter with food and bills will benefit from a new £170 million scheme unveiled by the Government.
The Covid Winter Grant Scheme will see councils across England share £170 million in additional, ring-fenced funding to help vulnerable families and individuals, with Cambridgeshire County Council receiving £1.46 million.
This will prevent children from going hungry this winter and ensure local families get the help they need. It builds on the £63 million already provided to councils this year and the ongoing work that the Government has been doing with local councils to assist those struggling to buy food and essentials.
A further £220 million will be invested in extending the Holiday and Food Programme until next Christmas, meaning that all children eligible for Free School Meals will have the option to join a holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and fun activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays next year.
Commenting, Jonathan Djanogly MP said:
“No child should ever go hungry, and the extra £1.46 million for Cambridgeshire County Council will ensure local families that need extra support with food and bills this winter can access it, in the same way that they have been able to since the start of the pandemic. Our local councils have been doing an excellent job at making sure that Government support reaches people in need, and this next stage of funding will enable them to continue doing that.
Unlike other political parties who have focused on free school meals in isolation, we have taken a broad approach to support and protect families and have worked extensively with local councils to make sure
that support is available where it is needed. No one should pretend that anyone ever voted to make children go hungry as it is simply untrue.
To support people during this challenging time, the Government has invested more than £200 billion to protect people’s jobs and incomes through the furlough scheme, grants for the self-employed and other support for business and a £9.3 billion injection to strengthen the welfare safety net this year.”
Commenting, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said:
“We want to make sure vulnerable people are cared for throughout this difficult time and, above all, no one should go hungry or be unable to pay their bills this winter.
“We know this has been a challenging time for many and we have consistently supported the lowest-paid families, protecting 9 million jobs with furlough and boosting welfare support by £9.3 billion.
“This package builds on that support and by extending our successful Holiday Activities and Food programme as well as funding a £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme to ensure families get the help they need.”