December 20, 2022 7.30 pm This story is over 26 months old

Cost of living crisis: 30k Lincolnshire families share in £5.46m support in a month

The money has been split between three groups
Dinners are another regular cost for parents | Photo: Adobe Stock / Monkey Business

More than 30,000 children and families have benefited from £5.46million of government support including free school meals this December.

Lincolnshire County Council Council was given £5.46million in the third round of the Household Support Fund which covers the period from October 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.

A spokesman said 82% of the funding had been targeted towards three specific groups of vulnerable people.

They include:

  • About 30,000 children in households with children eligible for benefits-related free school meals, two-year-old early years entitlement and early years pupil premium
  • About 200 young people in care in supported living accommodation
  • About 5,000 people in households in receipt of housing benefit only

LCC has received two similar amounts from previous HSF grants in October 2021 and April 2022.

The money followed a campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It included the a Holiday Activities and Food programme which aimed to help councils provide holiday provision of school meals.

Lincolnshire County Council has allocated a one-off payment of £100 per eligible child for free school meals from the latest round of funding.

It equates to around 56% of the grant being used to support children and young people eligible for benefit-related free school meals, two-year-old early years entitlement and early years pupil premium during this period.

Families were expected to have received the support before the end of November 2022.

Parents were previously left disappointed in May when there was doubt over whether the government would continue the scheme beyond September.

The funding is allocated through schools and early years providers who can choose how to pass it on.

Around £546,0000 of the HSF has also been split across the seven district councils in Lincolnshire for them to distribute in their areas to meet the needs of their communities over the winter period.

This includes a range of schemes including food banks and community larders.

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