Message from Sandwell Education Benefits Team

Food Voucher Scheme – Easter Holiday 2025 Household Support Fund – Update 

We’ve had questions from schools and parents/carers about arrangements for Free School Meals food vouchers over the Easter break. The amount of Household Support Fund money that Sandwell will receive for April 2025 to March 2026 was confirmed last week and meetings will now take place at the beginning of April to discuss how this funding will be spent. 

As decisions have yet to be made on if, or when, we will continue to fund supermarket vouchers for children in receipt of benefit-related Free School Meals, that means no vouchers will be issued before the Easter Holidays. 

We will update schools when decisions on the future funding of the vouchers have been made. But please advise parents and carers that, simply due to timescales, vouchers will not be issued for Easter, but multiples of the vouchers may be funded later in the year.

In addition, for families who need extra financial support during the school holidays, schools are advised to inform parents that help is also still available on the ‘Supporting Sandwell information hub’, which includes financial advice. Schools are advised to inform parents that they can go to https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/supportingsandwell for more information. 

Education Benefits & Transport