Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the proportion of the support available under the Covid Winter Grant Scheme that will be granted to families with children who are eligible for Free School Meals.

The primary focus of the £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme is on supporting vulnerable families with children affected by the pandemic, including, but not restricted to, families who are eligible for free school meals. As local authorities have flexibility to decide how best to identify and support those most in need in their local area, within the grant conditions, no such assessment has been made.

Detailed guidance for local authorities was published on gov.uk on 24 November.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-winter-grant-scheme