Help with food costs
Community fridges and larders
Community fridges and larders are publicly accessible fridges, freezers or ambient spaces that offer food for free to everyone in a local area – no referral is required. They make use of surplus food that would have otherwise gone to waste – mostly from businesses but also from households.
Find out more about community fridges and larders, including a list of where to find these on our Recycle Devon website. The website also has great tips on reducing food waste and about apps such as Olio and Too Good To Go.
Community fridges and larders are also included on the community groups map on the Recycle Devon website.
Free school meals
All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 at state schools in England automatically get free school meals. However, if eligible, parents and guardians should apply for free school meals when they enrol or once their child is in school, as this can help their child’s school attract additional funding to support their child’s learning. You can apply at any stage.
From year 3 onwards, you may continue to qualify for free school meals for your child. You can check eligibility and apply on our free school meals page. The free school meals scheme is a national programme and is not part of the Household Support Fund.
Holiday Activities and Food programme
The Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme aims to support children to eat more healthily and be more active over the school holidays.
Healthy Start – get help to buy food and milk
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk. Find out more about Healthy Start and how to apply if you are eligible.