Coventry MP calls for more help to tackle child food poverty in city
Coventry North West MP Taiwo Owatemi says 'food is a right, not a luxury.'
Coventry North West MP Taiwo Owatemi has written to the Work and Pensions Secretary calling for more support to tackle food poverty, particularly during school holidays.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Ms Owatemi says 'food is a right, not a luxury' - saying free school meals allowed her to focus and learn when she was a child.
She continues to say "children still get hungry in the holidays" - but with the Household Support Fund set to end in March, support for children over school holidays will stop.
The Member of Parliament for Coventry North West has written to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride, calling for provision to continue beyond 31 March.
In her letter, Ms Owatemi highlights that over 16% of children in her constituency live in food poverty.
The Government say the Household Support Fund allows families to get help with essential costs from their local council, including assistance with energy and water bills, food, and other essential items.
They say the funding's aimed at anyone who's vulnerable and cannot pay for essentials.