Sefton Council is reminding residents who don’t have Internet access that printed vouchers for its October half term meal scheme are available from the Borough’s Family Wellbeing Centres.

Families who receive free school meals but who do not have access to e-mail can phone to make an appointment at their local Family Wellbeing Centre, where they can collect printed vouchers.

Vouchers can be used to buy food in-store at any ASDA branch or online at www.asda.com.

Those people who do not have access to an e-mail account and who cannot get to a Family Wellbeing Centre should ring Sefton Council’s Contact Centre on 0345 140 0845 from 8m to 6pm Monday to Friday and between 10am and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Families in Sefton with Internet access who receive free school meals, can apply for meal e- vouchers at https://forms.sefton.gov.uk/htfreeschoolmeals/. They will need to send their name, address, telephone number and email address and their children’s names, schools and dates of birth.

The e-vouchers can be printed off or downloaded to a mobile phone and used to buy food in-store at any ASDA branch or online at www.asda.com.

Details of the scheme can be found at www.sefton.gov.uk/half-term-meals

People visiting Family Wellbeing Centres will need to wear a mask or face covering and remember to maintain space when they visit. Printed and e-vouchers are only for food and cannot be used to buy alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets, phone top ups or stamps.

Families who do not currently receive free school meals can visit www.sefton.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals to find out if they are eligible and how to apply.

Sefton residents are eligible for free school meals if they receive:

Income Support
Income based Jobseekers Allowance
Income related Employment and Support Allowance
Child Tax Credit ONLY (not entitled/receiving Working Tax Credit) and have an income of less that £16190.00
Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Universal Credit and have a net household income of less than £7400 per annum
Support under VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act
Announcing the half term scheme, Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said:

“Sefton Council is putting in place a scheme to support children and their families accessing free school meals in the borough during this half term. We will be sharing more information on how to access the scheme as soon as possible.

“We will also continue to provide additional funding and support to our local voluntary sector partners, including the local food banks who are well stocked to enable them to help some of Sefton’s hardest hit families during these difficult times.

“Our family wellbeing centres in Talbot Street (Southport), Marie Clarke (Bootle) and Netherton also remain open to families who need their support during half-term. We have also increased the funding available to our Emergency Limited Assistance Scheme, and would encourage anyone in Sefton who may need extra support at this time to contact the council on 0345 140 0845.

Cllr Hardy added:

“I would also like to express my sincere thanks to local businesses in Sefton, and our voluntary organisations, who have once again come out in support of their local communities and have offered to provide packed lunches, food hampers and meals to struggling families. They have proven that Together We Are a Stronger Community”