Some of Shetland’s families are receiving a £100 ‘COVID Spring Hardship Payment’ for the Easter Holidays. The funding provides a payment for each pupil registered for free school meals by Wednesday.
Shetland Islands Council will extend these hardship payments to all pupils in receipt of a clothing grant, in a bid to further support the families most in need in Shetland.
The payments will benefit 488 pupils from 267 families. Although the criteria for the Spring Hardship Payment is based on free school meals eligibility, there is no requirement for the grant to be spent on food. Families will be able to use this payment for anything they need.
Children in Early Years and in P1-3 who are in receipt of universal free school meals provision will not be eligible for the Spring Hardship Payment unless they meet the clothing grant and/or free school meals eligibility criteria. In addition to the £100 COVID Spring Hardship Payment, families will also receive a £30 ‘Easter Free School Meal’ payment for each eligible child on free school meals. The Easter payment has also been extended to include all children in receipt of a clothing grant.
Shetland Islands Council has been administering free school meal payments to all eligible pupils during the recent COVID school closures. These payments have been extended to include children in receipt of a clothing grant. Since the schools closed for Christmas, Shetland Islands Council has made payments totalling £76,500 in respect of free school meals. This total also includes payments for the Christmas Holiday period and the February long weekend.
Director of Children’s Services, Helen Budge: “I am delighted that families in Shetland who receive free school meals and clothing grants are benefiting from this support. Although the deadline for receipt of the £100 Spring Hardship Payment has now passed, we would encourage anyone who feels they may be eligible for free school meals and/or a clothing grant who is not currently in receipt of these benefits for this school year to come forward and apply.”
For more information, and to apply online, please visit: EMA, Bursaries and Financial Support – Shetland Islands Council or call 01595 743844.