Wolverhampton North East MP Jane Stevenson has welcomed more than £1 million in Government support for vulnerable children and families in Wolverhampton this winter.
A brand new £170 million scheme from the Government has been unveiled, which will benefit families that have been hardest hit by the pandemic and need extra support with food and bills.
The Covid Winter Grant Scheme will see councils across England share £170 million in additional, ring-fenced funding to help vulnerable families and individuals, with Wolverhampton Council receiving over £1 million.
This will prevent children from going hungry this winter and ensure local families get the help they need. It builds on the £63 million already provided to councils this year to assist those struggling to buy food and essentials.
A further £220 million 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.
Jane said: “No child should ever go hungry, and the extra £1 million for Wolverhampton will ensure that local families get the extra support they need with food and bills this winter. There are thousands of children in Wolverhampton who are eligible for free school meals, so I know this funding from Government will make a real difference.
“On top of this, I am also pleased to see the extension of the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides healthy food and activities for children during the school holidays and has a massive impact on disadvantaged young people in our community, to cover Easter, Summer and Christmas next year.
“Investing in the future of our children is vital to levelling up and extending opportunity across the country, and with this additional support we can prevent the hunger that we know is so damaging to a child’s life chances.”
To support people during this challenging time, the 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, as well as a £9.3 billion injection to strengthen the welfare safety net this year.
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey MP said: “We want to make sure vulnerable people are cared for throughout this difficult time and, above all, no one should go hungry or be unable to pay their bills this winter.
“We know this has been a challenging time for many and we have consistently supported the lowest-paid families, protecting 9 million jobs with furlough and boosting welfare support by £9.3 billion.
“This package builds on that support and by extending our successful Holiday Activities and Food programme as well as funding a £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme to ensure families get the help they need.”
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