More than 80,000 half-term meals for Birmingham children

The council will provide supermarket vouchers for school-age children

Birmingham City Council will spend £1.2m providing more than 80,000 free meals to needy children during half-term next week, it has been announced.

The authority is issuing 76,000 supermarket vouchers to school pupils, with early years children and college students also set to benefit.

Earlier this month, the government ended the Universal Credit top-up for low-income families.

Councillor Sharon Thompson said it was one of the reasons behind the move.

"There is huge pressure on some families so this news will provide some reassurance," the cabinet member for vulnerable children and families said.

"It is noticeable and worrying that the number of vouchers we are providing has increased as the effects of the pandemic continue to hit families really hard, including the end of both the furlough scheme and the universal credit uplift."

In addition to supporting school pupils, the council will also use the government's Household Support Fund to provide vouchers for a further 3,000 early years children and an equivalent measure for 3,000 young people aged 16 and above and attending college, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

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The city council is working on plans to use the remainder of its allocation to support those in need over the coming months.

The government has said the £20 uplift was always meant to be temporary and that people getting back into work was the best way to tackle poverty.

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