Supermarket vouchers for eligible families in Cambridgeshire will continue to be offered for at least the next 12 months. 

Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) will spend £4 million to provide meals for eligible young people who will benefit from the support. 

The funding is part of the new Cambridgeshire Holiday Voucher Scheme (CHVS). This is replacing the Household Support Fund – a government scheme which has so far provided three rounds of support during school holidays. 

So far, nearly 64,000 vouchers have been claimed from the fund, including around 22,000 from the recent February half-term. 

Those eligible for the vouchers are pupils who meet the following criteria:   

  • Eligiincome-related related funded two-year-old education (aged 2) 
  • Early Years Pupil Premium (aged 3 and 4) 
  • Eligible for income-related free school meals (4 to 16) 
  • Eligible for 16+ bursary (16 to 19) 
  • Receiving an Education, Health and Care Plan (up to 25). 

Vouchers are allocated online, with parents receiving vouchers by text and email. 

The decision to allocate 12 months of funding for the CHVS was approved by Cambridgeshire County Council’s Children and Young People’s Committee. 

Committee chair Cllr Bryony Goodliffe said: “Thousands of families have benefitted from the supermarket vouchers, so I’m delighted we have received funding from the Government to continue offering this support for the next year. 

“If you believe you may be eligible but have not signed up, please do get in touch. We know times are tough for many families, and we are here to help.” 

The CHVS will run alongside the Holiday Activity and Food Scheme (operating at Easter, summer and Christmas), with parents able to access both schemes.

Further information on the HAF can be found on the council’s website.