Winter Holiday, Activities and Food Programme #HAF2024

FREE activities and food from 30 December - 02 January for children, young people and their families who are in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals 

 

What is the HAF Winter Activities and Food programme? 

A range of free activities and food for children, young people and their families who are in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals (FSM) to attend across 4 days from 30th December 2024 - Bookings go live on 01 December. 

From fun activities to multi sports camps, theatre performance, land of lights trips, teen basketball camps, outdoor adventures, football camps, film making, music, gymnastics, arts, and crafts and more, we hope there is something for everyone this winter. 

Fancy taking part, but want to stay at home? Why not order one of our family roast dinner cooking boxes for families to cook together!

Across Milton Keynes, we have 8,000 individual sessions planned for the Winter Holidays. To book your activities, simply browse our programme and contact your chosen providers through our online booking system EEQU below

Eequ · After school. In place of school. Beyond school.

 

Evouchers will be distributed to children and young people identified through the school census that are in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals (FSM) Evouchers will be sent out by hello@holidayactivities.com on 01 December and will include a link directly to the booking system.

New Family Centres servicing all of Milton Keynes will be delivering all-inclusive family HAF trips for children in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals (FSM) to their reach areas and can be found on our booking system HAF Milton Keynes · Eequ.  Please note you can only book with the centre that covers the area where you live, further information on the new Family Centre services and each centres reach areas can be found here. 

 

 

Where can I find the activity programme? 

 

Evouchers will be distributed to children and young people identified through the school census that are in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals (FSM) Evouchers will be sent out by hello@holidayactivities.com on 01 December and will include a link directly to the booking system. 

If you are in receipt of benefit related Free School Meals (FSM) and have not received an Evoucher, please speak to your child’s school in the first instance if you have not received a code after 01 December to ensure you are in receipt of benefit related free school meals. 

 

All HAF activities and sessions will be found in one place and are easy to book by registering with our online booking system with the programme available to view here with bookings commencing on 01 December 2024. 

 

How is the HAF programme funded? 

 

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

 

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.