The Isle of Wight Council has today (Wednesday) announced a major scheme to provide £15 food vouchers each week for all in need this Christmas, with the aim of no child going hungry.
The initiative will support vulnerable children and young people and their families who are facing hardship over the festive period because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Councillor Paul Brading, Cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills, said the vouchers would help feed an estimated 5,590 children on the Island. He said:
“By introducing a food voucher scheme, we can help to ensure that no Isle of Wight child should go hungry over the Christmas and new year holidays.
“This decision has been taken at the first opportunity to enable schools to get the vouchers prior to the Christmas break.
“There will be a further announcement next week about a range of further community based provision to support families over the winter.”
The scheme is being funded from the £456,845 Winter Grant Scheme, awarded by the Department for Work and Pensions as part of a planned programme of supportive measures over winter.
It is also to be extended over the February 2021 half-term week.
The vouchers will be available to the following:
• All families whose children are eligible for free school meals.
• Children being supported by a social worker.
• Children receiving early help services across the Island.
• 2 to 4-year-olds accessing childcare and eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium.
• 16 to 18-year-olds who were previously eligible for free school meals.
The council also has sufficient funding to provide vouchers to the Island’s care leavers and support to young carers.
Nurseries, pre-schools, childminders, schools and colleges will be the distributors of the vouchers.
Each eligible household will receive a voucher per child worth £15 per week which can be used at a range of supermarkets.
Additionally, the council is providing schools and colleges with a discretionary grant fund. These grants will help support families who may not be immediately eligible for the voucher scheme but find themselves struggling financially — for example, where a parent has lost their job due to COVID-19.
Schools can use these grants to help families with food and other essential items, such as energy cards/tokens to pay fuel bills.
Councillor Brading added:
“I would like to thank all our education providers for helping us to reach those in need of this support.
“They know their children, young people and families best so are far better placed to distribute the vouchers. With their assistance, we can help to ensure that vulnerable children don’t go without necessities like food and heating over the winter.”
Families who may be facing financial difficulties this Christmas are encouraged to speak to their early years or childcare provider, school or college, and the matter will be handled in the strictest of confidence.
how utterly disgusting.
Why is the government not doing more to remove the need for vouchers?
Why are 5590 children in such abject poverty that their parents cannot afford to feed them properly without a voucher?
Foodbanks do excellent work. It is utterly disgusting that we need foodbanks at all.
What is disgusting is why can some unemployed manage and others can’t . ALL are given the same amount for the same situation. So, either all need help, or none.
Can anyone explain why?
Yes it’s not hard, some people are sensible with the money they get and some people aren’t.
Unfortunately in this case there are some parents out there that spend all the money on everything other than feeding there kids, things like Sky TV, booze, fags etc all that comes before there kids eating and being clothed and being warm.
But remember it’s not the kids fault there parents do this so if that means vouchers go out to these kids then so be it no child in this day and age should go hungry.
At least they are in the form of vouchers and not extra money as at least the vouchers have to be spent on food.
But on the other hand there are parents out there that genuinely find it hard for various different reasons which I cant comment on as fortunately we have always been ok with finances.
But in a nutshell every person’s situation is different and it still stands that children should always be fed, clothed and warm regardless.
Anyone would think these people lived like the Victorian poor. What do the spend their child benefit, and tax credits on? Free rent c.tax, free food, help with heating.
Seems bad management in 99.999% of cases.
What people need to concentrate on is the fact that the children that are going hungry aren’t the ones in control of what there parents do with the money they have.
So instead of complaining about why these vouchers shouldn’t be needed and about how much money the PARENTS get, step back and think that the kids shouldn’t be tarnished for the parents downfalls.
I fully understand that it isn’t the children’s fault. BUT what then should happen is that all child allowance and child tax credits is only given in vouchers which need to be for food, heating, water bills, clothing for the children.
All this extra money via vouchers for children should be taken from the parents unemployment, furrlough allownce, that way the children are getting their share, BUT and importantly, the feckless parents never then get more than others who are careful.
IF not more will just treat themselves ‘first’ and know that the suckers will be paying for their offspring TWICE.