Supermarket vouchers for Christmas holiday to support families entitled to FSM

The household support fund grant has been allocated to councils to enable them to support vulnerable households with essentials and has been further extended until March 2024.

Ealing Council are planning to once again use part of this fund to provide families entitled to benefit related free school meals with vouchers for the 2023 Christmas school holiday.

The value of these vouchers will be £40 per eligible child.

In the meantime we are asking all schools to:

Action required

Check your list and action by Monday 18 December:

1. Please check your FSM eligible lists on the FSM portal and:
   • Flag any children who have left your school (directly via the portal). You only need to flag FSM eligible / protected leavers. It is really important you do this by the 18 December at the latest to ensure that we do not send vouchers to children who are not eligible.
   • Check for any missing eligible / protected children. Voucher orders for the Christmas holiday will be solely based on the FSM eligible/protected lists on the portal so please do check your list carefully to ensure all your eligible families receive a voucher.
   • If you have any eligible children who are not listed as eligible or protected on the portal then please (securely) email PupilSupport@ealing.gov.uk their details and a parent/carer contact email. Please note that you will need to provide the pupil support team with proof from the previous school for any new joiners with protected FSM status.

2. Please remind parents and carers not currently registered for free school meals to apply on the FSM portal if they think they might be eligible. All families with children currently in Reception to Year 14 in an Ealing state funded school whose free school meal eligibility is confirmed before the end of the Christmas holiday will be eligible to receive a voucher.

   Check your list and action the above by Monday 18 December. Many thanks for your continued support with this.

3. Schools are also asked to share a letter with parents / carers (see downloads) outlining how Ealing Council will be providing financial support to low income families over the Christmas holiday.
   • Please ensure this information is made available to all parents of children eligible for benefits related free school meals ahead of the Christmas holiday so that they are aware of the support available and can start planning accordingly.
   • Please do not share the letter with families in primary year groups who are only currently entitled to Universal Free School meals as they are not eligible to receive a voucher unless they have also been checked and confirmed as eligible for benefit related free school meals.

Further information

If parents have any questions about the scheme, please direct them to the FAQ’s on Blackhawk Network’s website in the first instance.