North Northamptonshire Council is supporting families this Winter
Children and families19 December 2022
North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) is committed to supporting the health of our children and families.
Those parents, guardians, or carers with a child eligible for Free School Meals, who also started in either Reception or Year 7 this Autumn Term, are being given a one-off school clothing grant payment of £50.
Those eligible will be sent a voucher code by their child’s school, which must be redeemed by Tuesday 31 January 2023. This can be used at a supermarket, chosen by the recipient, to buy school clothes such as a warm coat or shoes.
I am pleased that the council has opted to support this important initiative. School uniforms, particularly when starting a new school, can be costly, and put immense strain on anyone who is already struggling to balance a tight budget.Councillor Helen Harrison, Executive Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing
We believe that this payment will ensure that their children are suitably wrapped up warm during the coldest months.
The school clothing grant is being provided by NNC through the Household Support Fund (HSF) from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Funding from HSF is also being used to support payments to all students eligible for benefits related Free School Meals (FSM) over the Christmas break. The vouchers (valued at £15 each per student, per week) will be provided by the end of the term.
We are delighted that the HSF funding is enabling us to continue contributing to the cost of feeding children who benefit from free school meals during term time over the Christmas holidays.Leader of the Council, Councillor Jason Smithers
As a council we are committed to supporting households with difficulty managing food and heating costs due to the Cost of Living crisis. HSF monies are being used in a variety of ways, so that as many of our North Northamptonshire residents as possible who need a helping hand can benefit from the support.