Electricity vouchers could be handed out to impoverished families across Medway to help put food on the table.

Medway Foodbank – a lifeline for thousands of needy people – is looking to introduce a Fuel Bank which provides top-up energy coupons for cooking, heating and lighting.

The scheme is run by the national Trussell Trust charity, which was set up to end hunger and poverty, in conjunction with provider N-Power.

The food bank has expressed an interest in taking the idea forward, but has said it would require funding.

Medway councillors are due to consider the scheme at this afternoon’s cabinet meeting as part of a food poverty action plan .

Fuel Bank is currently run in 31 towns in the UK, providing two weeks’ worth of fuel to clients with a pre-payment meter who have been deemed as in “crisis need” by an independent Foodbank referrer.

It offers a breathing space while users resolve issues, without having to choose between heating or eating.

Medway Foodbank supplied 5,835 clients with food parcels between April 2018 and March last year.

The council’s health and wellbeing board is looking at ways to combat food poverty, ensuring children from low-income families have access to meals 365 days of the year.

It is looking to set up a Medway Food Partnership to develop an action plan in a bid to eradicate food poverty and promote healthy eating.

Among proposals being explored is expansion of school breakfast clubs and funding to provide food during school holidays.

Another possibility might be using available open space to create communal food growing gardens and promoting health education and nutrition guidelines in schools.

Cooking skills could be targeted at keys groups, such as those with learning disabilities, released prisoners and young people leaving local authority care.

Medway Council already has a policy to ban new take-away businesses within 400 metres of primary and secondary schools to encourage healthier options.

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