The school summer holidays can be a difficult time and put pressure on household budgets, especially if money is already tight. Parents can find it tricky to balance paying for essentials whilst trying to entertain their children with trips and activities and most children won’t understand the pressures caused by the rising cost of living.
In a recent StepChange survey, 37% of parents with children aged 18 and under were worried that their finances will suffer during the school summer holidays due to additional cost pressures, rising to 46% of parents with primary school children and 51% of parents in receipt of Universal Credit.
It is therefore important to know what support is available to help cope with these pressures.
Parents who are eligible for benefit-related free school meals can apply for their children to attend the Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF), where they will be able to do activities and receive at least one free meal per day. The HAF runs for four weeks during the school summer holiday (three if the school holiday is shorter than six weeks).
Further details about the HAF in Warrington are available on Warrington Council’s website.
Also, the Household Support Fund that was set up during the Covid pandemic has been expanded with extra funding available until 30th September 2022 with 50% of the extra funds being ringfenced for families with children. Applications can still be made online.
