Thousands of low-income families are being offered financial support over the Christmas holidays and into 2021.

Vouchers worth £15 a week will be distributed by Staffordshire County Council for the Christmas school holidays to the families of up to 27,000 children to use in major supermarkets on food.

Biddulph Nub News reported in October how food vouchers were handed out to low-income families over the October half term.

And this scheme will now continue over Christmas, with Mark Sutton, Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet member for Children and Young People, saying: "Through no fault of their own, a lot of families are finding it hard going at the moment and while Christmas is a time of celebration and togetherness, we know it can bring additional pressures.

"We want to help those in need ensure that children can get a decent daily meal and that other vulnerable groups are supported."

In October families of more than 17,700 children took advantage of the £15 half term vouchers.

This time 80 per cent of the £2.2 million funding from the Department of Work and Pensions' Covid-19 Winter Grant Scheme will be used towards families with children.

For school-aged pupils the scheme will be administered through their schools, while Staffordshire County Council's Family Hubs have begun contacting families of children not in schools.

Those eligible include:

- Pupils entitled to free school meals

- Low-income families with pre-schoolers

- Recent care leavers

- College students aged 16-18 from low-income families

- Home educated children from low income families

All those eligible for the Christmas support should be contacted by 14th December. If not, those receiving free school meals should contact their school immediately, while all others should contact their local Family Hub.

Anyone who has recently been made redundant or is on 80 per cent of their usual income due to Covid-19 may also be eligible.

Also, from January until the end of March 2021 people in those categories and families on working tax credit can also claim a maximum of another three £15 vouchers.

The county council says it is also working with Staffordshire's eight district and borough authorities to identify vulnerable adults who need support.

Mark Sutton said: "We are committed in Staffordshire to doing all we can to help our residents and we know our efforts at October half term made a difference to people's lives.

"We received messages from parents that it made a real difference to them, allowing them to cook a family meal whereas otherwise they wouldn't.

"By expanding the scheme we calculate up to 27,000 children and young people will have a merrier Christmas this year and a happier 2021."