The Chancellor visited a school holiday club in London, where he saw the positive effects of nutritious food and extracurricular activities on children, and pledged to continue assisting families with their cost of living.
On Wednesday, August 17, Nadhim Zahawi met with a number of young people participating in sports and dance activities and explained how the programme at Sydenham School, financed by the Government’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) club, was enhancing health, behaviour, and social skills.
In reaction to the most recent ONS data, which indicates that inflation hit 10.1% in the 12 months to July, up from 9.4% in June, the Chancellor repeated that his “top priority” was to work with the independent Bank of England to bring inflation under control.
When part of the Government’s Help for Households campaign, Cost of Living Business Tsar David Buttress has obtained an additional round of cost of living agreements to give further help to families as children return to school.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi said:
“It’s fantastic to be here at Sydenham School to meet young people who are benefiting from our Holiday Activities and Food programme. Holiday clubs like this not only provide a nutritious meal but also the chance to take part in activities they may not otherwise have exposure to, such as music lessons, cookery classes or the arts.
“I know times are tough and people are concerned about rising prices. That’s why we have continually taken action to help households including £1,200 of extra support for eight million of the most vulnerable households and £400 off energy bills for everyone over the winter.
“We are doing all we can to support families and I am delighted that more retailers have got on board with our Help for Households campaign, offering some brilliant discounts on back to school essentials.”
Back-to-school specials include a customised new agreement with the publishing company Scholastic, who are providing 20% off children’s books, and a curated collection of Back-to-School deals from Amazon, including up to 30% off Clarks School Shoes and deals on stationery. Amazon Fresh also provides discounts on lunchbox necessities and laundry detergent.
Other Help for Households partners, including Marks & Spencer, Primark, Shoezone, ZSL, and Go-ahead, have committed to advertise their current help initiatives as part of the Help for Households campaign.
Anyone may visit the Help for Households website to see the whole selection of discounts.
The government is also assisting working parents when their children return to school in the fall by contributing up to £2,000 per year to their child’s wraparound care.
Approximately 391,000 working families benefited from Tax-Free Childcare in June 2022, getting a portion of £41.6 million in government top-up payments; but, many more might be missing out.
Families can find out what childcare support is best for them via Childcare Choices.