Dear parents/carers,

This Spring holiday, Gloucestershire County Council will provide families in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM), who sign up to this offer, with vouchers to assist with food costs during the school holidays. Families who have signed up to the scheme or who are already registered will receive a total of £15 per child for one week.

 

Applications for holiday FSM vouchers for the spring holiday 2026 will be open from Tuesday 3 March until Friday 13 March. Voucher emails will be sent from week commencing Monday 23 March. 

 

Families who have signed up previously do not need to re-register for the spring holiday vouchers - they will already have been included. However, if your circumstances have changed (e.g. if the number of children eligible increases or decreases) then you must notify Gloucestershire County Council at childrensfund@gloucestershire.gov.uk.

 

If you have not previously signed up for holiday vouchers visit the holiday free school meal voucher webpage here: Holiday free school meal vouchers | Gloucestershire County Council.

 

Please check your junk/spam folders during this period as sometimes the vouchers end up there.  If you have not received the vouchers by Monday 30 March, please submit a query by contacting childrensfund@gloucestershire.gov.uk.     

        

Using vouchers – vouchers will only be awarded once the parent/carer has registered for the scheme and cannot be backdated. Vouchers should be used in the holiday period in which they are awarded. If vouchers are not claimed and have expired, they cannot be re-issued. Vouchers that were expected but were not received should be queried by contacting childrensfund@gloucestershire.gov.uk

 

Message from Gloucestershire County Council:

Free School Meal Vouchers issued for school holiday periods is changing.

 Free School Meal vouchers provided during school holidays which have been funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) through the Household Support Fund are coming to an end. This is because the Household Support Fund is ending, and Free School Meal Vouchers for the spring school holidays will be the last vouchers available under this scheme. A different fund, the Crisis and Resilience Fund is starting from Wednesday 1 April 2026.

We know food vouchers during school holidays have been important for many families and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure those who need support the most can still access it through the new Crisis and Resilience Fund and other support that we are putting in place across Gloucestershire.

 To find out more, please:

• Visit Gloucestershire’s Family Hubs website to learn about the support available for families, including the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which provides great activities and nutritious food for children and young people during the school holidays.
• Look out for information about the incoming Crisis and Resilience Grant Funding, which will offer support for children and young people who are eligible for Free School Meals. Details on what you can expect and how to apply will be shared soon on the Family Hubs website.