Council considers extending food voucher scheme

According to the BBC, under the plan, children would receive supermarket vouchers worth £10 per week during school holidays. This amount is lower than the previous £15 weekly payment.

Details were included in documents presented to the council’s Children and Young People Committee meeting on Tuesday. The council has allocated £2.3 million to fund the vouchers, describing the measure as a “transitional arrangement”.

The council said the extension aims to provide support after the end of the government’s Household Support Grant, which helped low-income families cover essential costs such as food and energy.

According to the documents, the current plans will also align with expected changes to free school meal eligibility rules in September 2026. The government has announced that from September, all families receiving Universal Credit above the current £7,400 income threshold will be eligible for free school meals.

The council also said vouchers for the Easter holidays will partly be funded through the new Crisis and Resilience Fund.

Earlier information suggested the council had allocated £1 million for the vouchers, but it was later clarified that the amount is £2.3 million and that part of the Easter holiday vouchers will be funded by the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

Currently, there are no plans to extend the vouchers beyond September. However, the council said it is working on other projects to ensure families and households in Cambridgeshire can still access support during times of need or crisis.