Families in Bath and North East Somerset who receive benefit-related free school meals, and received a Free School Meal Voucher during the Christmas holiday will be issued with an electronic voucher worth £15 per child for the February half term, which can be used at one of the supermarkets listed below to purchase food and essential items.
The vouchers are being distributed electronically where possible. In exceptional circumstances we can help families who may find this difficult.
We are also providing vouchers to families attending early years settings that would have qualified for benefit related free school meals if their child was of school age.
How the scheme works
- This voucher system will be the same as our previous process during the Christmas holiday.
- You will receive ‘Select’ codes with a web link to our supplier, Hawk Incentives, which will take you to a page where you will be presented with a selection of supermarkets to choose from and a reward total which can be split between different supermarkets. Select codes can be added for each qualifying child to increase the reward total. These will be issued as £15 per child for the February half term.
- Once you have selected your supermarket, you can checkout your vouchers via the shopping basket. After entering your name and email address, vouchers will be emailed to you within 24 to 72 hours.
- The Select codes will only be valid for 2 months, so you must make your choice promptly. However, once you have selected your supermarkets and received your vouchers, the normal time limits for each store will apply.
- If you have previously applied (and received a voucher) for the Christmas holiday, we will email you to ask you to confirm whether you would like a voucher for the February half term. Once you confirm this, we will email you a Select code, or multiple codes if you have more than one eligible child.
- If you did not receive a Free School Meal Voucher during the Christmas holiday, or have received an email regarding a change of circumstances to one or more of your children, you will need to reapply using the link below.
How to spend them
You can spend the vouchers on food and other essential items at the supermarkets below.
| Brand | Where you can spend it |
|---|---|
| Morrison's | In store only |
| Sainsbury's | In store only |
| Tesco | In store only |
| Aldi | In store only |
| Asda | In store and online |
| John Lewis/Waitrose | In store and online |
| Marks & Spencer | In store and online |
| Farmfoods | In store only |
| Iceland | In store only |
Once you have selected your supermarket, you can check out your vouchers via the shopping basket.
Time limits
The Select codes will only be valid for 2 months, so you should act quickly. However, once you have selected your supermarkets and received your vouchers, the normal time limits for each store will apply.
Check if you need to apply
If you have previously applied and received a voucher for the Christmas holiday we will automatically email you to ask you to confirm if you would like a voucher for the February half term. Once you confirm this, we will email you a Select code, or multiple codes, if you have more than one eligible child.
You'll need to apply for vouchers now if either of the following applies:
- You didn't receive a free school meal voucher during the Christmas holiday
- We've contacted you about a change in circumstances for one or more of your children
Before you apply
You can apply for the vouchers online. You'll need to tell us:
- Your name
- Address
- Contact details
- National Insurance number
- Details of your children and the school they attend
What happens next?
We will review your application within 7 calendar days. If you are eligible, we will send you an email with a link to a website where you can claim a voucher for one of the participating supermarkets.
When you receive the voucher you'll need to save it to your smartphone or device, as we can't issue replacements. You may want to print the voucher off before you take it to the supermarket. You must redeem the voucher in full in one transaction, and you can't get change in cash.
If you prefer not to use all of the money at once, it's therefore a good idea to split the amount available to you between different supermarkets.