Winter Holiday, Activities and Food Programme #HAF2024

What is planned for Winter 2024:

The council has been awarded grant funding, from the Department for Education (DfE), to coordinate free activities and food, for school aged children in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals (FSM), during the Spring, Summer, and Winter school holidays in 2024.

Why we need you:

We want to offer a diverse range of events to meet the local interests and needs of children, young people and their families. We hope that by doing this that eligible children and young people across Milton Keynes, will be supported to

• eat more healthily over the school holidays
• be more active during the school holidays
• take part in engaging and enriching activities
• be safe and not to be socially isolated
• have greater knowledge of health and nutrition
• be more engaged with school and other local services

Is your organisation able to provide activities and food during Winter 2024?

We are keen to work with organisations across Milton Keynes, and we are inviting interested organisations to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for funding to deliver activity and food events during the Winter Holiday Activities and Food Programme that will take place from 30th December. 

In line with the DfE grant, provision needs to be targeted for those children and young people, where the family is in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals.  We would encourage organisations to view the FSM map click here and consider the detail, to ensure that events are proposed in areas of need.

We also encourage organisations to consider the FAQs click here which have been compiled to support you with any queries, along with the DfE guidance which can be found here Holiday activities and food programme 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). 

Please note that due to the DfE grant funding arrangements it is important that any events meet the requirements set out in their guidance, this includes the duration of sessions which need to be delivered over 4 days, with sessions running for at at least 4 hours on each of the days.

Once you are ready to make your EOI, please complete the EOI Form that can be found by clicking EOI link here.

Please note that the deadline for applications is midnight on 20th September 2024, any application received after this date will not be considered.

It is anticipated decisions regarding events for Winter will be made late October 2024.

Please email us at HAF@milton-keynes.gov.uk if you have any questions.  

Free School Meals

Who is eligible?

You must be in receipt of one of the below benefits to be eligible for free school meals for your child/children.

• Income Support
• Employment and Support Allowance – Income related
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (not Contribution Based JSA)
• Child Tax Credit only (with a combined family income of less than £16,190 per annum as assessed by HM Revenues & Customs) Please note, anyone receiving Working Tax Credit, regardless of income, will not qualify for free school meals.
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you receive)
• National Asylum Seekers Support (NASS)
• Guaranteed Element of Pension Tax Credit

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish that phase of schooling (primary or secondary).

If you think you may be eligible for Free School Meals, please contact your child's school or click the link below to apply.

Milton Keynes Council Free School Meals Application

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HAF Annual report 2023-24

Please see information and family feedback on the HAF programme here in MKCC HAF Annual report 2023-24.

Cost of living support

If you are worried about your finances and how you are going to make ends meet, there is help available. Please find below links to some of the support available to the residents of Milton Keynes. Read our cost of living help factsheet. 

Help with paying your rent and Council Tax

• Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction – Make a new claim for Council Tax Reduction or report a change in circumstances
• Discretionary Council Tax Reduction Scheme – MKC funded to provide additional support to those experiencing financial hardship.
• Discretionary Housing Payments – An additional payment to individuals on Housing Benefit that are struggling to meet a shortfall in their rent.

Help with essential costs including food and energy  

• Local Welfare Provision – MKC funded to provide essential support in the event of an emergency
• Food Bank - The provision of food, fuel, and small essential items, mostly in partnership with voluntary and charity groups
• SOFEA - support with food through community larders,  as well as wellbeing support.

Benefits calculator

Not on benefits or need to apply for another benefit

If you are not already receiving a benefit, the first thing you should do is make a new claim. Use the benefit calculator to work out which benefit you should claim.

You can also use this link if you are already receiving a benefit but wish to know if you should claim another benefit, such as Universal Credit.

Other government support

There are benefits you may be entitled to if your income is low or has gone down. 

• Cost of Living Hub - find out what support is available to help with the cost of living. This includes income and disability benefits, bills and allowances, childcare, housing and travel.
• Universal Credit – tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Read more on the GOV.UK Universal Credit web page.
• Job Seekers Allowance – tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Read more on the GOV.UK Job Seeker’s Allowance web page.
• Income Support – tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Read more on the GOV.UK Income Support web page.
• Employment and Support Allowance – tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Read more on the GOV.UK Employment Support web page.
• Tax Credits – tell Her Majesties Revenues & Customs (HMRC). Read more on the GOV.UK Report Changes that Affect your Tax Credits web page.

NHS Healthy Start scheme

If you are pregnant, or have a child under 4, and you are claiming certain benefits you may be able to get financial help to buy healthy foods and milk under the NHS Healthy Start scheme.

If you’re eligible (check your eligibility here), then you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use at supermarkets, local shops and markets stocking fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables. You can also take your card to a local children’s centre to collect free vitamins for babies and young children.

It’s much easier to apply, now the scheme has been revised so families can apply online. A list of frequently asked questions can be found here.