Herts County Council extends supermarket vouchers for struggling families until September

A supermarket voucher scheme that offers struggling families funds for food during the school holidays is to be extended until the end of September in Hertfordshire.

The coupons have been available to households that include children eligible for benefits-related free school meals since 2020.

But in February, Hertfordshire County Council officials warned that the vouchers may have to stop amid fears that funding from the Government’s Household Support Grant may not continue from April.

However, a six-month extension of the grant was announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as part of his Budget in March. As a result, a spokesperson for the authority has confirmed that the council’s supermarket voucher scheme will continue accordingly.

The spokesperson said: “We are delighted that the Household Support Fund has been extended for six months, up until the end of September 2024, meaning that we will be able to provide supermarket vouchers to families eligible for benefits-related free school meals during May half-term and the summer holidays this year.”