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Holiday Activities and Food Programme

Asked by Dame Caroline DinenageConservativeDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 27 January 2025UIN 24634

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to extend the eligibility criteria for the Holiday activities and food programme.

Answered by Stephen Morgan

The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme is aimed at children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. However, local authorities have discretion to go beyond this as set out in the HAF guidance: “While the majority of funding that local authorities receive should be used for holiday club places for children in receipt of free school meals, local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision”.

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