Reverse Labour Cuts to Holiday Food Vouchers

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have condemned the Labour Government's decision to scrap the existing funding for holiday food vouchers, and are demanding Labour act now to protect this vital support package for those struggling to put food on the table.

Keir Starmer’s Labour Government is withdrawing the Household Support Fund from the end of March 2026, pulling the rug from under families who rely on holiday food vouchers for their children. In its place, Labour are introducing the Crisis and Resilience Fund later this year - but they explicitly rule out using it for blanket provision of holiday meal vouchers to all children on Free School Meals meaning that Keir Starmer’s Labour are limiting how generous councils can be in ensuring children don’t go hungry.

Back in 2021, Lib Dem-led Cambridgeshire County Council was one of the first councils in the country to top up this government funding to ensure no school children went hungry over the holidays. And now, rather than see vulnerable children go hungry, Liberal Democrats are stepping in with £2.7 million to support families during the transition between schemes. This emergency funding will ensure families don't bear the cost of yet another government policy failure.

In a joint statement, Cambridgeshire’s Liberal Democrat MPs said: "Make no mistake - this is another Labour cut, slashing 70% of the cost of holiday meal vouchers for those most in need. And now the Government is telling councils like ours that we can’t continue our holiday vouchers scheme with the new funding they’re introducing - Labour are intentionally limiting the work we can do to feed hungry children during the holidays.

“This is the same old story, from Conservative to Labour governments - dumping the most expensive crises that they can’t solve on local authorities, cutting funding and then blaming councils when services don’t deliver while our communities pay the price. 

"Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats are proud to be able to step into the gap and protect holiday food vouchers in Cambridgeshire for now despite this cut, but this extra £1 million on top of an existing £1.7 million commitment has to come from somewhere. We need Keir Starmer's Labour to act now and work alongside us to protect this vital support.

“This is the latest in a growing list of unfunded ticking time bombs thrown onto local authorities by successive governments - Labour and Conservative. Councils across the country are already buckling under the strain of spiralling SEND costs, the crisis in social care, and crumbling roads - all problems created or worsened in Westminster, now continued by Labour.”

Cheney Payne, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Cambridge and a teacher at a Cambridgeshire secondary school said: “As a teacher at one of the most deprived schools in the county, I see the difference every day that the government's funding cuts are making to our most vulnerable families. This is another decision by Labour in government to remove vital support from our children and young people. 

“It is frankly outrageous to see Labour in Cambridgeshire blaming the County Council when it is Keir Starmer’s Labour who are scrapping the Household Support Fund and then limiting our council’s ability to use any new money to feed children in need - all while the Liberal Democrats are actually committing extra funds to cover the cracks left by Labour and keep food on the table over the school holidays.”