To ask the Minister for Communities for an update on the options being considered in conjunction with the Department of Education to address holiday hunger over the summer, when direct payments stop at the end of the school term.

I welcome and support Minister Weir’s proposals to extend Direct Payments over the summer months and to continue with the equally important targeted element of support through the Eat Well, Live Well Programme delivered through the Youth Service. My Department’s Emergency Response Programme has acted as a wraparound to Free School Meals and ensured vulnerable families have been supported throughout.

I remain committed to providing this wrap around support to families through localised provision of services and the Department will work closely with Education colleagues to ensure that the work that we are doing to support families who are at risk of food poverty is aligned and complementary to the Direct Payment Scheme and the Youth Service offer.

My Department’s food box scheme in its current form will come to an end on 26th June but the service will continue for those shielding until the end of July. We are however acutely aware of the ongoing needs of the most vulnerable in our society and of the need to ensure they have access to alternative sources of help.

For those not shielding there are a range of additional ways available by which they can get help to access food. The department in conjunction with its community partners will signpost people to other ways in which they can access food including:

Priority online shopping deliveries for those shielding with the large supermarkets.

Delivery services from a range of local shops.

Local volunteers to assist with delivering shopping

Local support through voluntary and community sector organisations/food charities.

An additional investment of more than £875,000 in other forms of food support will be made by the Department for people who are seeking help with food as we transition from the emergency to recovery phase of the pandemic. To help people progress from the current emergency interventions the Department will support Fareshare to deliver an increased supply of food to community food providers. Whilst we recognise that food may be at the forefront of need, the transition from an emergency response includes support and advice on wider issues and the strong network of local services will be vitally important.