Haringey Council has agreed to extend its emergency holiday support for children eligible for free school meals, providing families with vouchers worth £15 per week for the summer break and increasing the council’s spending on the scheme to more than £1.4 million for 2026/27.
What the extension means for families
The decision, signed off by Cllr Jo Kuper, cabinet member for tackling inequality and resident services, prolongs the council-financed assistance until Tuesday 1 September. The support begins as Haringey’s state schools break up on Tuesday 21 July and aims to help households meet additional costs during the lengthy summer holiday.
Initial funding of £450,000 was set aside by the previous Labour administration in March to cover vouchers across the Easter and May holidays. The Green Party-led administration which took over in May has now approved an additional estimated £966,000, boosting the scheme’s total local authority cost by nearly 215%.
“the maximum extension for blanket provision”
The council said the extension represents “the maximum extension for blanket provision” of the scheme and framed the extra spending as a balance between complying with government guidance and meeting its duty “to support those in crisis”.
How this ties to national changes
The move comes as national policy on out-of-term support shifts. From September local authorities must adapt how they assist pupils eligible for free school meals following the introduction of the Department for Work and Pensions’ new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). Haringey Council has said it is currently evaluating its approach to holiday support for the 2026/27 academic year with the intention of moving “to a more targeted approach”.
The council also noted it has received a CRF allocation and that central government funding will alter how support is delivered; in the source material the sum is described as just over £5.9m for the current financial year.
Practical details and local impact
- Eligible pupils will receive vouchers worth £15 per week throughout the summer break.
- Support runs until 1 September, covering the full summer term break.
- The extension increases the council’s projected outlay on the scheme to more than £1.4m for 2026/27.
Council members have framed the extension as necessary to give families breathing space until a more targeted model of support can be designed in response to the new national fund. For many local parents facing higher living costs, continued voucher provision over the long school holiday will be an immediate financial relief.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Initial spring funding | £450,000 |
| Additional summer extension (estimated) | £966,000 |
| Total council spend on scheme 2026/27 | £1.4m+ |
As Haringey assesses how to adapt to the CRF and to sharper targeting of holiday aid, families and community organisations will be watching for further detail on eligibility, voucher distribution and any future changes to provision. The council has said more information about the approach from September will follow once evaluation work is completed.
