Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the £63 million of local welfare assistance to be used by local authorities announced at Prime Minister’s Questions on 10 June 2020, whether he plans to make the same level of additional funding in each of the next five years.

All of the £63 million is additional funding, sitting alongside the £6.5 billion of extra support the Government is providing through the benefits system to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are protected throughout this crisis.

We are currently finalising the amounts to be allocated to different local authorities.

The funding is not ring-fenced for children on free school meals. The Government has recently announced a further £120 million of funding to continue free school meals for children during the school holidays.

This funding is a one-off boost to local authorities in recognition that some people in our communities are facing sudden and severe financial difficulties.