Salford City Council has allocated £1.6 million from its Household Support Fund (HSF) allocation from the government to support Holiday Food Vouchers for eligible children.
The decision was agreed at the council’s Cabinet and city leaders are highlighting the importance of the support, with the winter months and school holidays approaching.
The latest round of HSF funding is in place until Monday 31 March 2025. Salford City Council is providing eligible children with vouchers for £15 per week for the remaining weeks of school holidays (up to Easter 2025).
The demand for this support is substantial across the city, with the authority issuing 15,459 vouchers for the October 2024 half-term alone.
Councillor Tracy Kelly, Lead Member for Housing and Anti-Poverty at Salford City Council said: “The Household Support Fund is an essential support scheme and is vital for our most vulnerable residents across the city.
“The support we’re able to provide through the Holiday Food Vouchers helps families with the cost of living and ensures children continue to be provided with a healthy meal when out of the school term which is crucial for many families across our city.
“This support is really important, no family should be worried about putting food on the table for their children and without these vouchers people would really struggle.”
For the Early Years and other cohorts of children who are eligible, the council provides a supermarket voucher via a unique code for the parents to use in a supermarket of their choice. For the Jewish community, the council also provides Kosher vouchers.
As well as holiday food vouchers, the funding is also being used to support households struggling with the cost-of-living to cover food, energy and fuel costs. Residents who need support can apply directly for funding online or call Salford’s HSF helpline on 0800 011 3998.
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “The Household Support Fund has been an essential support system, offering our residents much-needed help with food and heating, and ensuring that children on free school meals do not go hungry during school holidays.
“It’s clear there is a need for long-term, sustainable funding at a national level to continue to provide the support that families need.
“In Salford, we work hard to make sure vulnerable residents are supported in the best way possible and that our children can access the help they need through our work to be a Child Friendly City.
“The continuation of this funding is essential to enable us to continue providing that assistance and our commitment to building a fairer, more equal society for everyone.
“We welcome the government’s commitment to supporting communities with the cost of living and their announcement of the extension of this funding, it’s essential we continue to work together for a long-term solution to continue to provide the support our communities need.”
The funding is also supporting Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners to deliver food banks, food clubs and food schemes; and other areas of the council such as housing, adult social care, and welfare rights and debt advice.
This support forms part of Salford’s wider Tackling Poverty strategy which aims to make Salford a fairer and more inclusive place where everyone can live prosperous and fulfilling lives free from poverty and inequality. The funding has come from the Department for Work and Pensions.
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