Burnley MP welcomes support package for vulnerable families

The Covid Winter Grant Scheme will see councils across England share £170m. in additional, ring-fenced funding to help vulnerable families and individuals, with Lancashire County Council receiving just under £4m.

This will prevent children from going hungry this winter and ensure local families get the help they need. It builds on the £63m. already provided to councils this year to assist those struggling to buy food and essentials.

A further £220m. will be invested in extending the Holiday and Food Programme until next Christmas, meaning that all children eligible for Free School Meals will have the option to join a holiday-time programme that provides healthy food and fun activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays next year.

Commenting, Antony Higginbotham said: “It has always been my view that no child in the borough should go hungry during the holidays and with family circumstances changing so suddenly as a result of the pandemic, it's essential that we look at the best way of providing support quickly.

"Earlier this year Burnley Council was provided with £150,000 from the Welfare Assistance Fund to make sure that every child who needed support over the half term received it, and today’s announcement of a further £3.9m. to Lancashire County Council will ensure local families that need extra support with food and bills over the winter period can access it.

"I know some have had concerns about how we ensure this money is spent on children and food though and so its welcome that this is now formally ring-fenced for this purpose.

"As I have always said, we need to address not only the short-term need but also find a long-term solution for those children who miss out on healthy food and, equally importantly, activities that support their development during holiday periods. That's why next year the Holiday Activities and Food programme will run during the Easter, Summer and Christmas periods.

“Investing in every child's future is central to my mission to level up and extend opportunity across our borough, and with this additional support we can prevent the hunger we know is so damaging to a child’s life chances.”

To support people during this challenging time, the Conservative government has invested more than £200 billion to protect people’s jobs and incomes through the furlough scheme, grants for the self-employed and other support for business and a £9.3 billion injection to strengthen the welfare safety net this year.