Families offered support with Easter food costs

Low-income families will be offered help with the cost of food during the Easter holidays.

The news comes after the council ended its scheme which allowed all families of children eligible for benefits-related free school meals to be given vouchers during every school holiday for the last five years.

Matt Vella, head teacher of St Michael's Academy in Yeovil, where nearly 40% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, said the application process needed to be "as clear and accessible as possible" to avoid "added stress" for families.

Councillor Heather Shearer, Liberal Democrat lead member for children, said the council had to "move quickly" to set up the Easter scheme, after being told "very, very late in the day" by government that the previous support would end from April.

Other local authorities have chosen to continue with their previous voucher schemes using the new government funding.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said the new national £1bn Crisis and Resilience fund will act as a "genuine safety net helping to prevent families from falling into crises".

"Local authorities will design their schemes with the needs of their area in mind, and this can include using the fund for free school meals during school holidays if they feel that is where support is needed," they added.

As of January 2025, 15,285 children in Somerset were eligible for free school meals, representing 21.2% of pupils in the area.

Vella said the previous holiday voucher scheme meant families had "consistent access to nutritious meals" outside term time.

He said his school served "one of the most deprived catchments in Somerset" and previously said he thought the change "would hit the most vulnerable pupils the hardest".

The head teacher added that the Easter offer was "hugely valuable, especially at short notice".

The previous vouchers were paid for by the council using the household support fund (HSF) provided by government from October 2021 until March 2026.

The HSF is being replaced with a crisis and resilience fund being paid by government to local councils for the next three years with Somerset Council granted £21m over that period.

Shearer said families who had received vouchers in the past would be eligible for help this Easter and encouraged them to contact Citizens Advice Somerset online or by phone.

"We want people who had those vouchers before to have them again this Easter," she added.