Call to write off £47k school meal debt
My research recently uncovered the fact that over a £1million in school meal ‘debt’ is owed by families across Scotland.
This includes over £47,000 owed in Renfrewshire, and is despite the fact that P1 to P5 pupils can all now receive a free meal.
With the cost of living crisis hammering vulnerable families, I’m now urging Renfrewshire and all other Scottish councils to write this debt off.
Most councils do still guarantee children a lunch, even if their family owes a debt to the council, but I know from speaking to staff and families that attempting to collect this money from those who simply can’t afford to pay just causes stress and embarrassment.
Worse still, the stigma may be resulting in some children not taking up the meal they would be provided because they know their family can’t afford to pay it back later.
Despite Westminster cutting Scotland’s budget, the Scottish
Government is taking action to eradicate child poverty.
Alongside tackling the climate emergency and recovery from the pandemic, this is one of the key strategic priorities agreed by the Greens and SNP.
Government actions include the rollout of free bus travel to everyone under 22, expanding free school meals to P6 and P7 and plans which are currently being developed to cap the cost of school uniforms.
Starting this month, the Scottish Child Payment has been doubled to £20 per week for 106,000 children under the age of six. This will be extended and increased by the end of this year to £25 for every child under 16.
And, unlike the UK Government, the social security payments, entirely under the Scottish Government’s control, will increase by 6 per cent to take account of the rising cost of living.
The Tories’ cruel benefit cap will cost vulnerable families an average of £235 per month, according to the
Child Poverty Action Group.
Fortunately, for those in Scotland, the Green manifesto commitment to mitigate this cap and provide families with the income they would otherwise have lost will now be enacted too.
Westminster may be making life harder for already vulnerable children, but the Scottish Government is doing everything it can to support them.
It is frustrating though that we spend tens of millions of pounds every year simply protecting families from Tory cruelty, when that money could instead be spent on making children’s lives better.
The Scottish Parliament was established to do more than just reverse some of the worst decisions made at Westminster.