Bevan Foundation urges First Minister action to support families this summer

The Bevan Foundation Trustees have urged the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, to help families this summer.

At its board meeting on 11th July 2023, the Bevan Foundation’s trustees agreed to urge the Welsh Government to provide support for low-income families. Although the provision of free school meals in the holidays was intended as a temporary measure, they said that now is not the time to withdraw this lifeline that helps to save thousands of children from hunger.

They stressed that to families, what matters is cash to help with the additional costs of food in the school holidays and heating costs in winter. The help could be in the form of continuing the free school meals holiday payment or as a child payment later in the year.  

The concluded that:

“At a time when the Child Poverty Strategy is out for consultation, we urge you to find less than 0.1% of the Welsh Government’s total expenditure to help low-income families during a period of extreme pressure.”