Flintshire set to approve holiday hunger payment for families this summer
Families living in poverty in Flintshire could receive a holiday hunger payment for the upcoming summer holidays – if cabinet approves the plan on Tuesday.
If it does families will get a one-off £50 payment per eligible child to help provide food during the six-week break – costing the authority £260,000 and a leaflet detailing other affordable food options available through the summer – such as supermarket cafe deals for children.
Councillors agreed to make the recommendation to cabinet at Thursday’s special meeting of Flintshire County Council’s Education, Youth and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The meeting was convened due to the need to secure Cabinet approval for the Holiday Hunger scheme before schools break-up next week.
They also agreed to establish a working group in the autumn to explore more sustainable ways to deliver holiday food support to children and families in need.
With a remaining budget of just over £200,000, the group will look at what were called ‘sustainable’ options such as mobile shops, meal centres, doorstep food deliveries, meal boxes and meal lockers – where meals ordered by families will be delivered to refrigerated lockers in their community for collection.
The authority is aiming to find a way to deliver support to families in a cost-neutral way by 2030.
“Time’s been against us,” said Jen Griffiths, Flintshire Council’s Service Manager for Housing, Welfare and Communities.
“We were never going to be able to get a fully-fledged sustainable solution off the ground for this summer.
“This summer is a stop-gap while we take a look at future investment, which will include potentially going out to market and specifying solutions to child hunger that are ultra-processed food-free.”
Broughton South Labour Cllr Ryan McKeown wanted to clarify how the Holiday Hunger payment would affect those receiving Universal Credit.
“When I was a pupil at high school I was in receipt of free school meals,” he said.
“That was back before Welsh Government payments during school holidays and before they cruelly took that away and placed that burden on local councils to fund.
“In a household where there may be three eligible children receiving £150, would that have any impact on that household’s Universal Credit?”
Ms Griffiths confirmed the payment would have no influence on other benefits.
“It is a payment in lieu of free school meals, so there is no effect on Universal Credit,” she said.
The committee agreed to recommend Cabinet approve the recommendation to make payments this summer and look into a more sustainable long-term solution to food poverty from this autumn.
By Alec Doyle – Local Democracy Reporter
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