Children 'unfairly excluded' from free food scheme
LDRSChildren from low-income families are being unfairly excluded from a government-funded holiday food scheme, a council has said.
Durham County Council backed Reform councillor Cathy Hunt's call for the government to widen eligibility for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF), even if their parents are not claiming qualifying benefits.
HAF provides free meals and activities during school holidays for children eligible for benefits-related free school meals.
Hunt, cabinet member for children and young people, said many working families struggled but were unable to access support because they earned just above the qualifying threshold.
She told councillors: "We are talking about children whose families are on minimum wage and by the time they have paid their council tax, rent, mortgage, childcare, petrol, cars and insurance, they are financially worse off than people on benefits.
"This is about being fair and ensuring more children are getting an opportunity to have some food and activities designed for them."
Her motion said limiting access to the scheme based on entitlement to benefits-related free school meals, rather than a family's overall financial circumstances, excluded children living in genuine financial hardship and could create unnecessary stigma.
'Hypocrisy'
During the debate, Liberal Democrat councillor Alex Neil said he supported the motion but criticised the Reform administration over previous decisions on council tax support.
"To say that there is a level of hypocrisy going on here is an understatement," he said.
"Only a few months ago, the Reform administration decided to make the political choice of putting a cap on council tax relief and now they are coming back, saying people need support.
"This administration has made this political decision to push blame on to the government, but partially it is on you."
The council will now write to the secretary of state for education urging the government reviews HAF's eligibility rules.
It will also ask the Department for Education to work with local authorities on developing a broader eligibility framework based on household financial circumstances rather than benefit entitlement.
County Durham's MPs will be asked to support the campaign, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
