Asda launches 'kids meals for a £1' summer deal amid cost of living crisis

·Breaking News Editor, Yahoo News UK

Updated 21 July 2022 at 7:23 am·3-min read

Carlisle, England - September, 04 2021: Electric car charging outside the Asda St Nicholas Gate store on London Road, Carlisle, England. — Asda will be extending a plan to get kids meals for £1(Getty)

Struggling families will be given a financial boost in time for the summer holidays as some of the country's leading supermarkets band together to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Asda has announced it will extend its "Kids eat for £1" over the summer, where children aged 16 and under can access a hot or cold meal for £1 at any time of day in Asda Cafes across the UK.

Morrisons is providing a free meal for every child at in-store cafes when a parent buys an adult meal.

Sainsbury's is introducing a “feed your family for a fiver” campaign to try and help those facing rising food and fuel prices that have sent inflation to a 40-year high.

London theatres will let children see a West End show for free in August with a fee-paying adult, while telecoms firm Vodafone is promoting a mobile social tariff of £10 a month.

EMBARGOED TO 0001 FRIDAY JUNE 17 File photo dated 15/10/21 of shoppers in the fruit and vegetables section of a branch of Asda in south London. A leading campaigner against food poverty has demanded a — Supermarkets are coming up with ideas to help tackle the cost of living crisis. (PA)

Amazon has a page linking to free music and TV, learning resources and value groceries.

The initiative is part of the government’s new Help for Households campaign.

The campaign will also provide fresh discounts during the back-to-school period in autumn, when energy bills are expected to surge to new record highs, and during the Christmas shopping season.

David Buttress, the government’s cost-of-living tsar and former Just Eat chief, agreed the deals with businesses.

Boris Johnson and Buttress are set to meet leaders of participating companies in Downing Street on Thursday to discuss further cost-cutting initiatives.

File photo dated 15/10/21 of shoppers in the fruit and vegetables section of a branch of Sainsbury's in south London. The cost of groceries is now 5.2% higher than it was a year ago, with inflation in the past four weeks hitting its highest level in nearly a decade, according to new data. Issue date: Tuesday March 29, 2022. — The cost of groceries is on the rise. (PA)

Buttress told LBC: "When I met with the prime minister to come and do this campaign I saw a lot of energy and real rigour to get something done and rise to that challenge, and so we’re going to look at this campaign to, of course we can’t completely mitigate the challenges we’re all going face, but it’s about helping where we can and working with British business to promote the best of what they’re doing.”

It comes as the Salvation Army warned parents who are struggling with rising costs are skipping meals to prioritise their children.

Carol McKean, a community manager in Sheringham, Norfolk, said parents "look broken asking for help" and say they've "never had to claim benefits before" costs began spiralling.

"I know that, for these people, we are the last resort," McKean added.

Watch: Cost of living - Annual supermarket bill set to rise by £454, industry data shows

"They really are short of food for their kids, and some are saying they haven't eaten for a couple of days so their kids can eat."

UK inflation jumped to 9.4% in the 12 months to June from 9.1% in May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The ONS said that June's inflation figure was partly due to a 42% year-on-year increase in petrol prices, and an increase of almost 10% in food prices.

Food and non-alcoholic drinks rose by 9.8% in the year to June, the highest rate since March 2009. Milk, cheese and eggs as well as vegetables, meat and other food products such as ready meals became more expensive.

The Help for Households website can be found here.