Bolton families face a change to holiday meal support

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-09-08 19:05 3 min read

Brown paper parcels placed under a festive tree, representing holiday family support resources.

Families in Bolton whose children receive Free School Meals will no longer receive school holiday food vouchers after summer 2026. Bolton Council says the change affects vouchers previously distributed by schools to eligible school-aged children and directly by the council for eligible children under five.

Term-time Free School Meals are not ending. Eligible pupils will continue to receive meals at school, while the council is directing families who need help during holidays towards other financial, food and activity support.

Holiday vouchers end after summer 2026

The voucher scheme was financed through the Government’s Household Support Fund, introduced in October 2021 to help residents meet essential costs. According to the council, that fund has now ended and has been replaced by the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

The replacement fund has different criteria and cannot be used for a universal holiday voucher scheme covering families eligible for Free School Meals. This means vouchers issued during previous school holidays will not be provided for the next holiday period.

Bolton Council acknowledged that the withdrawal may worry families who relied on the vouchers during the cost-of-living crisis. It said the available money will instead support targeted services for residents experiencing financial hardship.

Families who will be affected

The change applies to Bolton households that previously received food vouchers because a child qualified for Free School Meals. It covers both school-aged children, whose vouchers were administered through their schools, and eligible children under five whose vouchers came directly from the council.

The distinction between holiday and term-time provision is central: only the holiday voucher scheme has ended. Free School Meals provided during the school term remain available to eligible children.

Bolton families face a change to holiday meal support

The council’s notice also says eligibility for term-time meals is widening nationally. From September 2026, Free School Meals are due to extend to children in households receiving Universal Credit. This expansion does not restore the discontinued holiday vouchers.

Replacement support available in Bolton

The council lists several services intended to provide more direct help according to a household’s circumstances. These include its Financial Support Scheme and Local Welfare Provision, which can offer emergency assistance with food, energy costs and other essentials through an application process.

Other confirmed support includes welfare-benefit checks, household budgeting and debt advice, emergency housing help, support for tenants at risk of eviction, Money Skills guidance and assistance for unpaid carers. Employment and digital-skills services, winter Warm Spaces and early intervention for families at risk of homelessness are also included in the new approach.

Holiday Activities and Food provision will continue, with funded activities and meals available to eligible children during school breaks. The council says the programme will run until 2029 and may include places for some families whose children do not qualify for Free School Meals.

Where families can ask for help

Parents who may struggle without the vouchers are being encouraged to seek advice before the next school holiday. Bolton Council’s cost-of-living service provides information about financial assistance, food support, benefits and local welfare provision, while details of Holiday Activities and Food places are available through the council’s HAF service.

Families can also seek free welfare-benefit, financial and debt advice through community organisations. An out-of-hours Citizens Advice service for Greater Manchester accepts calls or text messages on 0161 850 5053, giving families another route to support outside standard opening hours.

Source: Bolton Council News

Context & actions About this article

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The article distinguishes the confirmed end of holiday vouchers from continuing term-time meals and the replacement support listed by Bolton Council.

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Checked that holiday food vouchers stop after summer 2026.
Confirmed that eligible children retain Free School Meals during term time.
Separated the former Household Support Fund from the replacement Crisis and Resilience Fun...
Checked the council notice for the stated support routes and Citizens Advice contact numbe...

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