Holiday food scheme plea backed

Children from low-income working families are being unfairly excluded from a government-funded holiday food scheme, Durham County Council has said, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.

Councillors backed a motion from Reform UK councillor Cathy Hunt calling on the government to widen eligibility for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme so it includes children experiencing financial hardship, even if their parents are not claiming qualifying benefits.

The HAF programme currently provides free healthy meals and holiday activities during school holidays for children eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals.

Speaking during Wednesday’s full council meeting, Cllr Hunt, the council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said many working families were struggling with the rising cost of living but were unable to access support because they earned just above the qualifying threshold.

She told councillors: “We are talking about children whose families are on minimum wage and by the time they have paid their council tax, rent, mortgage, child care, petrol, cars and insurance, they are financially worse off than people on benefits.

“This is about being fair and ensuring more children are getting an opportunity to have some food and activities designed for them.”

The motion argued that school holidays place additional financial pressure on working households, with parents often facing childcare costs while also having to provide meals that children would normally receive during term time.

It said limiting access to the scheme based on entitlement to benefits-related Free School Meals, rather than a family’s overall financial circumstances, excluded children living in genuine financial hardship and could create unnecessary stigma.

The council will now write to the Secretary of State for Education, urging the government to review the HAF programme’s eligibility rules.

It will also ask the Department for Education to work with local authorities on developing a broader eligibility framework based on household financial circumstances rather than benefit entitlement, while County Durham’s MPs will be asked to support the campaign.

During the debate, Liberal Democrat councillor Alex Neil said he supported the motion but criticised the Reform administration over previous decisions on council tax support.

“To say that there is a level of hypocrisy going on here is an understatement,” he said.

“Only a few months ago, the Reform administration decided to make the political choice of putting a cap on council tax relief and now they are coming back, saying people need support.

“We can all agree that in a country like ours, every single person having to turn to a foodbank for support is an absolute disgrace.”

Cllr Neil added: “This administration has made this political decision to push blame onto the Government, but, partially, it is on you.”

The motion concludes that “no child should be disadvantaged because of their parents’ income” and says widening access to the programme would help tackle child poverty, reduce stigma and ensure support reaches children who need it most.