- Cumbria County Council to receive £1,496,417 from Government for food and supplies for vulnerable households as part of £170 million package
- Extension of school holiday programme providing food and activities for young people also announced
- Prime Minister reaffirms Conservatives’ commitment to preventing childhood hunger
Families across Cumbria 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 Cumbria County Council receiving £1,496,417.
This will help ensure local families get the help they need. It builds on the £63 million already provided to councils this year 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, Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border said:
“This additional support package will ensure local families that need extra support with food and bills this winter can access it, which is really welcome news. In the recent Opposition Day Commons vote on Free School Meals I was unhappy with the Government’s position so accordingly I abstained and have been pushing with colleagues for Government to provide additional support. Marcus Rashford has done a fantastic job in campaigning on this issue and I congratulate him on his leadership in helping achieve this important change in position from the Government.”
“I’m pleased that the Prime Minister has announced the extension of the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides healthy food and activities for children during the Christmas, Easter and Summer school holidays. These measures are important and go some way to addressing the food insecurity issues that families are facing and that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.”
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.”
