'Concern' as school holiday food vouchers end

A head teacher says he is "really concerned" about a decision to end school holiday food vouchers for families on low-incomes.

Somerset families with children eligible for free school meals will no longer automatically be given supermarket vouchers during school holidays.

Instead, Somerset Council is introducing a new crisis fund, which will partly be spent on preventative work. The authority, which spent £2.1m on the voucher scheme last year, has earmarked about £1m annually for emergency support, including food.

But Matt Vella, head teacher of St Michael's Academy in Yeovil, said he thought the change "would hit the most vulnerable pupils the hardest".

It has not been announced how many families will be supported under the new scheme or what kind of help they will be offered.

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

Vella said his school served "one of the most deprived catchments in Somerset", where nearly 40% of his pupils are eligible for free school meals and families are now dependent on the voucher support.

He said the holiday vouchers had meant families had "consistent access to nutritious meals" outside term time.

"I think it'll have a significant impact on the most vulnerable pupils because many are already facing challenges of rising costs, potentially, you know, employment issues and financial hardship, so it's going to hit those that need it the most the hardest," he added.

But councillor Heather Shearer, lead member for children, said the new fund, which will be rolled out in time for the Easter holidays, would continue to support struggling families.

"We know our families very well, we know who they are. We will do everything in our power to support them in any way they need.

"This gives us different ways to support them in different ways - not just a voucher," she said.

The 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.

Somerset Council has been granted £21m over that period - this compares to the authority's most recent annual HSF funding of £6.7m in 2025/26.

The council's Liberal Democrat executive committee voted to use the new crisis and resilience fund to focus largely on preventative work and earmarked £1m a year for emergency support including with food.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said the £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.