Council once again providing meal vouchers to eligible Sefton families over Christmas

Over the Christmas and New Year break, Sefton Council will be supporting more than 9,000 local families by providing them with meal vouchers, worth £15 per child per week.

Local supermarkets
Vouchers can be used to buy food from local supermarkets, either in-store or online by eligible families who qualify for free school meals.

Accepted by supermarkets across Sefton, the half-term meals vouchers can only be spent on food and essentials and can’t be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets, phone top-ups or stamps.

Bleak
Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said: “Sadly, for a lot of families across Sefton and the UK, this Christmas is looking bleak because as people worry about fuel bills, inflation, interest rates and prices in the shops all of which have rocketed.

“By providing around 9,000 Sefton families with these meal vouches for the school holiday period, we can hopefully help to ease some of their concerns and help to make Christmas a little happier and New Year a little brighter.”

Cost of living
Free school meals and how to apply for them is one of the areas covered in the special Cost of Living section that Sefton Council has set up on its website at www.sefton.gov.uk/costofliving.

Other areas include Welfare Benefits, help with rent and Council Tax, debt advice, health and wellbeing, foodbanks & food pantries and a link to the Sefton Support Hub.

Additionally, there are details of the Emergency Limited Assistance (ELAS) scheme, which can provide a one-off payment to Sefton residents experiencing severe hardship, a disaster or emergency.

Toy Appeal
Cllr Hardy added: “Another way people can brighten up Christmas for children across our Borough is to donate to The Mayor’s Toy Appeal.

“Each year, we ask those who can donate toys and gifts for children and young people and every year we are bowled over by Sefton’s generosity.

“People can find out how and where to donate at www.sefton.gov.uk/toyappeal.”