Rochdale Borough Council

The challenge

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical need for reliable and efficient support systems for families. RBC explained the difficulties they faced: “As the government committed funding to support eligible families with food vouchers for use over school holidays, we needed to ensure that children eligible for FSM continued to receive their entitlements. Traditional paper-based voucher systems or meal delivery schemes posed logistical and administrative challenges, and so we needed to find a digital solution that was convenient, easy for both schools and people to use, and that catered for people who could not easily access vouchers electronically.”

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The solution

To address these challenges, Rochdale Borough Council adopted the Evouchers system to distribute FSM vouchers via text message, email, and postal delivery. This digital approach was selected for its flexibility, accessibility, and efficiency, ensuring that all eligible families could seamlessly receive support during school breaks.

While the transition to the new system was largely smooth, some initial hurdles arose, such as ensuring families had up-to-date contact information. However, proactive engagement with schools, nurseries, and childminders helped resolve these issues effectively.

The impact

The adoption of the Evouchers system has led to significant improvements:

Increased efficiency: Administrative workload was significantly reduced, allowing staff to focus on broader support initiatives.

Cost savings: Eliminated expenses associated with printing and distributing physical vouchers, with no administration fee required for using the platform.

Flexibility: Families can receive vouchers through text, email, or postal delivery, accommodating different levels of digital access.

Enhanced support for families: The streamlined process ensures that families can quickly and easily access the essential support they need.


RBC reflected on the positive outcomes: “The shift to a digital system has not only improved efficiency but also ensured that families receive their vouchers in a way that best suits them. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s reassuring to know that this approach has made a real difference during challenging times.”