Single Shropshire mum in tears as summer meal vouchers scaled back

Claire Herzig lives with her nine-year-old daughter Ella

A single mum said she was left in tears after she found out support for school holiday meals would be reduced by half.

In 2021, Shropshire Council provided eligible families with vouchers worth £90 over the summer holidays but this has now been cut to £45.

Claire Herzig, from Shrewsbury, said it "adds more pressure".

Shropshire Council will split money from the government's Household Support Fund with families who qualify for free school meals and eligible pensioners.

The government stipulates that at least one third of the funding is for vulnerable households with children, at least one third of of the funding is for pensioners and the remainder of the funding (up to one third) can be available for other vulnerable households.

"I know it's only £45 but to a single parent it's a lot of money and this just adds more pressure," Ms Herzig, who lives with her nine-year-old daughter Ella, said.

"I've been at work in tears because I'm wondering how I'm going to pay my bills this month."

Families will be able to access meals through the Holiday Activities and Food programme

In Shropshire, 5,500 children qualified for free school meals in 2021.

They have traditionally only been provided in term times, however during the pandemic, many local authorities decided to fund them over the holidays too following a campaign by England footballer Marcus Rashford.

It was paid for by the government's Household Support Fund, which now also needs to be shared across other vulnerable groups.

Other councils, including Worcestershire, have also reduced meal vouchers in response.

With the cost of living crisis seeing prices climbing too, Ms Herzig said she and Ella simply cannot afford to go on any summer trips.

"We've had the cost of living payment but that's already been swallowed up on bills," she said. "My gas and electric have gone up £100 this month."

Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Shropshire Council's portfolio holder for children and education, said that the authority understood "times are hard with the cost of living crisis".

There will be additional support on offer in Shropshire for families, she added, including through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.