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Wed, 25 Mar 2026

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 Families offered support with Easter food costs

Low-income families are being offered help with the cost of food during the Easter holidays.
Somerset Council has introduced a new scheme to help low-income families with food costs during the Easter holidays. The council will offer supermarket vouchers to eligible families, which can be applied for through the Citizens Advice Somerset website. The move follows the end of a previous scheme that provided vouchers to all families of children eligible for free school meals during every school holiday since 2021. A head teacher at St Michael's Academy in Yeovil said the application process should be "as clear and accessible as possible" to avoid adding stress for families. Somerset Council was informed late by the government that their previous funding would end, prompting them to quickly set up a new scheme. Other local authorities have chosen to continue with their previous voucher schemes using the new Crisis and Resilience fund provided by the government. As of January 2025, there were 15,285 children in Somerset eligible for free school meals, representing 21.2% of pupils in the area. The council's Liberal Democrat lead member for children said that families who previously received vouchers would be eligible for help this Easter and encouraged them to contact Citizens Advice Somerset online or by phone.