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Do you get Universal Credit? From the start of the 2026 academic year all children whose families receive Universal Credit will be entitled to receive a free meal regardless of household income.
 Under current rules, only families who are entitled to Universal Credit and receive £7,400 or less per year from employment qualify for a free lunch for their children. The expanded eligibility will mean many more children will be able to receive a free nutritious meal.
All pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 will continue to get free meals under the universal free school meals policy.
Families are encouraged to apply and check if they are eligible.
We've approved plans to help recruit more foster carers, so more children can grow up in safe, loving homes close to where they live.
We're already part of the Foster for East Midlands Councils (FFEMC) partnership alongside Derby City, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County councils.
Together, the four councils encourage people to consider becoming foster carers. Once someone applies, each council currently carries out its own assessment and approval process.
Our councillors have now agreed to join the Department for Education’s End-to-End Fostering Hubs programme. This will streamline foster carer recruitment, assessment and approval, helping tackle the national foster carer shortage, reduce reliance on costly residential placements and support the goal of creating 10,000 more fostering places by 2029.
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A programme we lead to support young people towards an apprenticeship or employment is being given a boost in South Derbyshire.
The Youth Employment Support (YES) Derbyshire programme, which is a joint initiative with the Government’s Department for Work and Pensions, helps 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, training or employment to get on the career ladder.
Operating from hubs in Swadlincote, Chesterfield and Ilkeston, the programme offers young people a one-stop shop for advice, training and employment support. Following additional government funding, support at the Swadlincote hub in Rink House will increase from one day a week to three.
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Improving efficiency and cutting out waste in council budgets has resulted in us being £2m better off at the end of the financial year than previously forecast.
Watch our Cabinet Member for Finance and Efficiency Councillor John Lawson (right) talk about how careful spending and close monitoring of budgets means our finances are in better shape, but pressures still remain.
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We're set to begin work next week to repair the Leashaw landslip at Holloway, as part of our £70 million annual capital programme to deliver safer, stronger and more resilient roads across the county.
 The initial landslip forced the closure of Leashaw in November 2022 for safety reasons as it had caused significant damage to the road and pavement. Repairs officially begin on Monday 13 July with the first phase taking 20 weeks to complete. This will involve stabilising the nearby ground and rebuilding the embankment.
The last phase will see the road completely rebuilt along with a new drainage system to reduce water runoff and minimise the future risk of landslips. It’s expected the road will reopen in January 2027 subject to favourable weather.
Do you have any thoughts about how well our mental health services currently work and what can be improved?
You're invited to have your say on the future of our local mental health support services for people with mild to moderate needs by taking part in our public consultation.
Currently, we provide three services for people with ‘low levels’ of need who don’t require crisis support or hospital admission.
The consultation runs until Sunday 23 August and you can give your views by filling in an online questionnaire
We're also holding two online events which place on:
- Thursday 30 July from 2.30pm-3.30pm.
- Monday 3 August from noon-1pm.
If you'd like to attend one of the online events email tell.adultcare@derbyshire.gov.uk to express your interest and you'll be sent an online Microsoft Teams link to join the session.
You can still have your say in our public consultation about a proposals to close Glossop Household Waste Recycling Centre and a range of other cost-saving options at all of the county’s recycling centres.
We've put forward proposals to close the centre on Melandra Road in order to save £360,000 a year in running costs because we're experiencing financial challenges.
Fill in a questionnaire online before the closing date on Thursday 23 July 2026.
Watch Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Business Services Councillor Stephen Reed (right) explain how we're taking people's views into account. We've had 5,900 people respond so far. If you're not one of them please take part.
We're also asking residents who use our household waste recycling centres to make sure they are registered to do so. This is to:
- help prevent them being used by people living outside the county
- help ensure we only pay for waste and recycling for Derbyshire residents.
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