It is an understatement to say that the women’s movement is outraged by the ending of the Holiday Hunger payments. The payments will end on Monday 3rd April as the Department of Education no longer has the funding to deliver to the scheme. This is because of the lack of a budget due to the Stormont Shut Down.

What losing the Holiday Hunger Payment means:

• 96,000 eligible children (30% of the entire school population) lose £27 fortnightly payment
• Easter holiday hunger for many families
• Foodbanks put under strain
• Women will go into debt to feed their children

Any outstanding issues with the Westminster Framework can be resolved through negotiation with the EU and Westminster governments informed by input from NI political and civic representatives. Holding Stormont to ransom achieves nothing for anyone in NI. The Holiday Hunger scandal is just the latest example of what having such unstable institutions costs all the people of NI. The ‘Where’s Our Democracy?’ campaign is calling for the urgent re-establishment of the Northern Ireland Executive and long-term stability for our democratic institutions, in the spirit of the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement.

What you can do:

• Call Employers for Childcare on 0800 028 3008 to make sure you are receiving any financial support you are entitled
• Sign the petition to call for the urgent reinstating of the Holiday Hunger Payment
• If you are an organisation consider signing up to the Where’s Our Democracy Campaign to push for stable institutions