UK cost-of-living package with free West End tickets not helping, say charities

theguardian.com:

Child poverty campaigners have accused the government of “abandoning” struggling families after it announced a cost-of-living package that included free theatre tickets and supermarket discounts.

They spoke out as Boris Johnson prepared to meet with some of the UK’s biggest retailers on Thursday to discuss the Help for Households scheme which is meant to help families facing soaring food and fuel bills after inflation hit a 40-year high of 9.4%.

The package includes a mix of new and pre-existing discounts on meals, mobile tariffs and theatre tickets from businesses including Asda, Morrisons, Amazon and Vodafone.

“With school holidays starting today and parliament heading off for recess, government has abandoned children and families to face a difficult summer with inadequate support,” said Alison Garnham, the chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group.

“As families battle to stay afloat, investment in social security for the long term has to be the top priority for the next prime minister. A decent living standard for children should never be dependent on retail discounts.”

The government support scheme currently includes the extension of Asda’s offer allowing children to buy a meal for £1, and the reintroduction of the “feed your family for a fiver” campaign by Sainsbury’s.

It also will allow children to watch a West End show for free in August – with a fee-paying adult – while telecoms firm Vodafone is adding its existing £10-a-month mobile social tariff to the scheme.

Other initiatives include Amazon’s page linking to free music and TV, learning resources and value groceries, and Morrisons’ offer of a free meal for children at its cafes.

“We are facing incredibly tough global economic headwinds and families across the