Children in receipt of Free School Meals are among the biggest beneficiaries of the most recent round of the Household Support Fund.

It comes after the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced another six-month extension to the support scheme last month.

Bolton Council is receiving around £2,780,000 for the period October 1 this year to April 1 next year and children in receipt of Free School Meals are among the biggest beneficiaries of the most recent round of the HSF which is the sixth round of the HSF in the last three years.

They are in line for almost a million pounds towards vouchers for use in the Christmas Holidays and in the half-term holidays either side.

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There are hundreds of thousands of pounds for council services such as the Advice Service and the Care and Repair Service as well as for non-council services via an application to the Bolton's Fund.

Bolton Council is topping up the support scheme with some of its own money and some of the money is to be allocated at a later date depending on demand and on the Autumn Budget on October 30.

Phil Rimmer, the council's Assistant Director of Corporate Resources, said: "We want to use all of the budget before [April 1] which is a big challenge but it is making a big difference in people's lives. 

"We ask for case studies and some of them are so emotional."

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Previously the leaders of the political parties said they were worried about the sustainability of the HSF which they said was short-sighted.

Nick Peel, leader of the council, and Martyn Cox, leader of the opposition, said the same thing at a meeting at the town hall this week.

Cllr Peel said: "I worry about the sustainability of the HSF because it was brought in as an emergency three years ago and there is a danger the authority becomes a substitute welfare state to the Department for Work and Pensions.

"It is one of those things. At some stage we are anticipating the government will be announcing an alternative way to prop people up."

Cllr Peel and other cabinet members approved the allocation of the £2,780,000 at the meeting at the town hall on Monday.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.