Supermarket vouchers have been sent out to Devon families to help buy food over the Easter break.

Vouchers worth £570,000 have been sent to support 19,000 children in Devon as part of the Government's one-off 'household support fund'.

Over the last year, Devon County Council turned its share of the support fund into providing nearly 140,000 supermarket vouchers for families who qualify for free school meals. The Chancellor Rishi Sunak recently announced that the Government intends to continue its Household Support Fund after April.

Another support is also available for families, including the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) scheme, which eligible families can take part in free of charge over the Easter holidays and summer break.

Councillor Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for communities, said: “By working with partners such as schools, district councils, children’s centres, Citizens Advice and the Devon Community Foundation, we’ve been able to make the absolute most of this Government funding.

“I am grateful for all the hard work of our team and partners for making sure we were able to get this support to households most in need as quickly as possible.”

Families are urged to check their holiday vouchers and redeem them as soon as possible. Those who did not previously qualify for free school meals but have recently seen a fall in income can use the Devon County Council website to check whether they are now eligible for this support.

Find more information on the Devon County Council website or contact Devon County Council’s education helpline on 0345 155 1019.