Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is available for the estimated 2440 children and teenagers who no longer qualify for the Holiday Activities and Food programme.

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, backed by over £200 million per year, provides free nutritious meals, enriching activities and safe environments to eligible children during the school holidays. The programme remains specifically targeted at children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) from households with annual earnings of £7,400 or less, ensuring the programme prioritises families facing the greatest levels of disadvantage.

Local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised places to children who do not meet the eligibility criteria who could benefit from HAF, in line with local needs and priorities.

HAF also sits alongside wider support for low-income families, including the expansion of FSM to all children from households receiving Universal Credit, the continued rollout of free breakfast clubs and broader action through the child poverty strategy.