Glasgow's holiday hunger programme cut due to funding shortage
School children will no longer receive free food in the February holiday after the council dropped the break from its annual hunger scheme.
Last updated 28th Oct 2022
School children will no longer receive free food in the February holiday after the council dropped the break from its annual hunger scheme.
Glasgow City Council distributes cash for the holiday food programme, which sees kids receive hot meals, snacks and activities when they are not in the classroom.
Dozens of community organisations in the city deliver the scheme, which has covered Spring, Summer, October as well as February in previous years before the latest cut.
Budget cuts led to decision to axe February break
A council paper said the three day February holiday period had to removed due to the “funds available.”
Describing it as “really disappointing and worrying,” Labour councillor Jill Pidgeon, said: “That means for those three days children who would usually access hot food and support won’t have that.”
Pointing out that a difficult winter is expected with the cost of living crisis, councillor Pidgeon added: “By the time we get to February things will be pretty grim.”
The Shettleston politician raised the issue about the February cut at a recent council meeting.
She said: “It is sad that we must have these provisions but they are there because there is a need. We should be looking at ways to protect them even if it is more basic.
"We have a duty of care"
“We have a duty of care. The kids who access these services are the most vulnerable we have in the city.”
The holiday food programme ran for four days in October and is due to operate for eight days in Spring next year.
A council spokeswoman said: “There has been no cut to the £2million holiday food and activity programme that has been delivered across Glasgow since 2018.
“Slight adjustments have been made to deliver the programme to more children and young people and to fund additional organisations than in previous years.
“Eligible families will also be in receipt of £2.50 per child per day during school holidays.”
Families who are eligible for free school meals also receive £2.50 per child per day during school holidays to support them when schools are closed.
A council paper presented at the city administration committee on September 29 said: “Due to funds available, it is proposed that the three day February holiday period is removed from the programme.
“It is proposed to fund 52 organisations to deliver a bigger programme with a wider spread across the city than in previous years. To achieve this within available budget, support for a maximum programme of four days in October 2022 and eight days in Spring 2023 (includes two public holidays) is recommended.”
The paper was due to be considered by councillors at a meeting on September 15, which was cancelled due to the Queen’s death. The paper’s recommendations ended up being approved by the council chief executive as the next meeting would have been too late to give organisations enough time to get ready for October’s holiday food programme.
Last year the council distributed about £2.09 million for the holiday food programme and it is understood funding levels have remained at similar levels for this financial year.
The Cost of Living Crisis
Interest rates and inflation go up
Inflation rose by 8.8% in the 12 months to January 2023, down from 9.2% in December 2022. With interest rates also rising to 4%, those saving money will earn more interest on their finances, whilst those paying mortgages would pay more interest to the bank.
Energy bills
The price of energy went up incredibly as the cost of living crisis hit, with the gas price spike caused largely by the war in Ukraine. The price cap - which is set by an independent regulator to help offset costs onto customers - was set to rise to £3,549 for an average home in October but a price freeze from the government restricted the typical bill to £2,500. That's still an increase of 27% from the previous energy cap and as it's a cap on unit cost, the more energy you use the higher your bill will be.
Food prices
The cost of a weekly shop also has gone up as a result of the cost of living crisis. As a result of the war in Ukraine, a number of products including cooking oils and wheat have been disrupted. This means that several products are now considerably more expensive, driving bills up for customers.
Prices at the pumps
The average cost of petrol has also rose to unprecedented levels. Supply lines for petrol have been thrown into doubt as a result of the war in Ukraine, as Russia is a large export partner for gas, oil and fuel. In April 2022, the average price for a litre of petrol on the forecourt was 160.2p, whilst a litre of diesel would cost 170.5p. By late June 2022 the price had risen to an average of 190.9p for a litre of unleaded and 198.9p for a litre of diesel. In March 2023 the price wass on average of 147.03 in petrol and 167.04 in diesel.
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