With half term approaching, Sefton Council is reminding the 9,000 or so local families eligible for free school meals, that it is providing vouchers worth £15 per child per week.

Valid in local supermarkets and online, the vouchers can be used to buy food and essentials. Distributed through schools, provide vital support to families who may be struggling.

Cost of living crisis

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said: “As winter approaches and the national cost of living crisis continues, people’s thoughts will be turning to heating their homes and putting food on the table, so I am pleased that Sefton Council is, once again, able to help by providing these vouchers for eligible families during the holidays.”

Vouchers can only be spent on food and essentials and can’t be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets, phone top-ups or stamps.

Special website

Details of eligibility for free school meals and how to apply for them is one of the subjects covered in the special Cost of Living section on the Sefton Council website at www.sefton.gov.uk/costofliving.

Other areas include Welfare Benefits, help with rent and Council Tax, debt advice, health and wellbeing, foodbanks & food pantries and Sefton’s Warm Spaces network. The section also contains advice on help to buy food and milk  and links to the Sefton Support Hub and the Emergency Limited Assistance (ELAS) scheme, which can provide a one-off payment to Sefton residents experiencing severe hardship, a disaster or emergency.

Services and support

Cllr Hardy added: “We have tried to put the kinds of information people might need during the cost of living crisis in one place, www.sefton.gov.uk/costofliving to help them find services and support easily.

“Because some people do not have easy access to the Internet and smart phones to find information online, we provide free computer, Internet and Wi-Fi access at local Sefton libraries. And anyone struggling to get online can contact the Council’s Contact Centre on 0345 140 0845.”

You can use this link to find out more about Cost of Living support.