Following news that the UK Government has extended the provision of free school meals for the Christmas holidays - and all school breaks until summer 2021 - PayPoint is reminding local authorities that they can issue money to financially vulnerable families in real-time.

PayPoint’s Cash Out solution works seamlessly to enable eligible families to receive vouchers via email, letter or SMS and in turn, redeem them for cash in 27,500 retailers across the UK, rather than being limited to specific supermarkets. Access to the Cash Out facility is via an online portal which removes the need for any development, easing the burden on local authorities already facing significant challenges of the COVID-19 crisis.

Danny Vant, Client Services Director of PayPoint commented; “PayPoint is committed to providing easy, stress free solutions that deliver immediate results for consumers, businesses and local authorities alike. The ability to provide these real-time solutions has been a key driver in the growth of our digital solutions this year. Helping families to access the financial support they need and are entitled to, through the free school meals scheme, is another way in which we are helping to make life easier in a challenging year.

“Typically, families receive an eGift voucher to spend in their chosen supermarket, which works well for many people, but not everyone can get to one of these. It would be more helpful if there was an option to receive cash to spend at local convenience stores, which are typically open longer hours than supermarkets so they are more accessible. Across the UK 99.5% of the urban population live within one mile of a PayPoint store and 98.3% of the rural population live within five miles of a PayPoint store.

“Local authorities have the option to provide a different solution to better suit their residents – digitally or physically - and Cash Out is a fast, easy and cost-effective solution. Once received via email, text message or post, families can redeem their Cash Out voucher at a local retailer when it is convenient for them, making free school meals even more accessible and beneficial for every family.”

Visit paypoint.com for further information