If you receive benefits or have a low income, your child may be eligible for free school meals.
If you are struggling to pay for food for yourself and your family, there are a number of options.
Help for all households
You may find using food apps a useful way of saving money with food bills.
The BBC have a useful guide to apps to help you cut food waste and save cash.
Help for low-income households
Free school meals
Holiday vouchers for families with children in receipt of free school meals
Following changes to government funding, the Household Support Fund ended on 31 March 2026. This means the Council can no longer continue to provide the seasonal supermarket vouchers in the same way as it has done previously.
After negotiation with the government, councils across the UK have been granted permission to deliver one final round of the supermarket voucher scheme. In Solihull we have decided to provide this to families in time for the summer holidays as we know the summer can be a period when families can experience greater financial challenges. Further details have been provided to families who are eligible to receive the vouchers. A supermarket voucher of £20 per eligible child will be sent out to parents by 7 July 2026.
In the interim, a range of extra help will continue to be available to families and can be found on the Council website here: Here2Help. This includes information on the Holiday Activity and Food Programme, local Family Hubs, food banks and social supermarkets, as well as several other discretionary crisis related schemes
The Household Support Fund is being replaced by a new Crisis and Resilience Fund and under the rules of this new fund, all families will need to be assessed before additional help can be provided. More details will be available on the Council website in due course.
Holiday Activities and Food (HAF)
Families who are in receipt of benefit-related free school meals are also eligible to book school aged children, from reception to year 11, into HAF funded activities. Activities are free to access and include enjoyable activities and a healthy meal.
They will run during Easter, summer, and Christmas school holidays as well as some half term holidays.
Healthy start
If you’re more than ten weeks pregnant or have a child under four years old, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.
Help in an emergency
Foodbanks
A foodbank is for anyone in crisis, who does not have enough money to buy food for themselves or their family.
When you use a foodbank, you will be given enough food to feed yourself and your household for at least three days.
The following food banks in Solihull are supported by the Crisis Resilience Fund, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Helping Hands
Helping Hands is an emergency food bank service. Emergency food parcels can be collected from our Family Hubs. They can also be delivered in exceptional circumstances.
How to access
Helping Hands work on a referral basis only. If you or someone you know need to access this service, please call Solihull Council on 0121 704 8001 to request a referral.
We Care UK
We Care UK provides an emergency “out of hours” food parcel delivery service to support those who are facing an emergency or crisis.
Food parcel delivery times are anytime between 5.00pm to 10.00pm.
How to access
If you or someone you know need to use this service, please call Solihull Council on 0121 704 8001.
North Solihull Foodbank
Smiths Wood
- address: Auckland Hall, 25 Sunbeam Close, Smiths Wood, B36 9JR
- open: Tuesdays and Fridays from 12.30pm to 2.30pm
Shard End
- address: Welcome Change Community Centre, Ownall Road, Shard End, B34 7AJ
- open: Thursdays from 12.30pm to 2.30pm
Get in touch
- website: nortthsolihull.foodbank.org.uk
- telephone: 07902030134
- email: info@northsolihull.foodbank.org.uk
How to access
Vouchers can be obtained through school support workers and agencies e.g.:
- Help Through Hardship CAB on 0808 208 2138
- Solihull Connect on 0121 704 8001
- Age UK on 0121 709 7590
Social supermarkets
A social supermarket is a community-based shop that offers affordable food and essential items to people on low incomes, helping them stretch their budget while giving them choice.
The following social supermarkets have been set up with the support of the Crisis and Resilience Fund in 2026.
Around Again social supermarket
The Around Again social supermarket provides affordable access to food and household essentials for individuals and families experiencing:
- financial hardship
- social isolation
- health-related challenges
- low income
- unemployment
- benefit dependency
- financial instability
The service offers an alternative to emergency food aid and allows individuals to purchase items at subsidised prices and encourages them to engage with community support services.
The initiative works on a free membership basis, helping households stretch limited incomes while maintaining choice and independence. Members can currently select 14 items for £5. The typical retail value of these items is between £25 and £30, providing significant savings for households.
Opening hours and contact details
The social supermarket is currently open Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Address:
100 Chapelhouse Road
Chelmsley Wood
B37 5HA
You can get in touch by:
- phone: 0121 448 0720 (Ext 3)
- email: aroundagain@colebridge.org
More information is available on their website.
We Care UK mobile food pantry
The mobile food pantry is a mobile service delivered by We Care UK, providing households in need with access to affordable food and essential household items.
For a small donation, members can receive up to £25 worth of essentials including:
- cupboard staples
- fresh fruit and vegetables
- chilled meats or pulses
- non-food items such as toiletries
The mobile pantry operates monthly across all four Solihull Family Hub locations including:
- Riverside Family Hub
- Elmwood Family Hub
- Evergreen Family Hub
- Hatchford Brook Family Hub
More information is available on the Solihull Family Hubs Facebook page.
Opening times
The mobile pantry will be open at the following times.
| Location | July 2026 | August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Family Hub | Tuesday 7 July from 11:00am | Tuesday 4 August from 10:00am |
| Elmwood Family Hub | Thursday 16 July | Thursday 13 August from 12:00pm |
| Evergreen Family Hub | Friday 24 July from 11:00am | Friday 7 August from 10:00am |
| Hatchford Brook Family Hub | Friday 31 July from 10:30am | Friday 21 August from 10:00am |
How to access
To sign up, please complete the online application form.