School Meal Debt - Freedom of information requests
Title or Description
School Meal Debt
FOI Number
346
Date Received
05/04/2022
Type of Request
FOI
Request or Question
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information:1. Can secondary pupils with a zero or negative balance on their school meal account access a school meal? b) If they can access school meal, what is the process for doing so? c)Does this accrue debt to the family?2. Do pupils with a zero or negative balance on their school meal account have any restrictions placed on what they can eat either at lunchtime or during morning break?3. Does debt on the school meal system get referred to the council for debt collection? Does the Council use external debt agencies or sheriff officers to collect school meal debt?
4. Do you use a cashless payment system for school meals in a) Primary and b) Secondary school? If so, which system is used?
5. Is school meal debt written off when a child leaves secondary school?
6. Does school meal debt outstanding at the end of primary seven transfer to secondary school?
7. Is school meal debt written off when a child leaves the local authority or is it transferred to another local authority?
8. Where a family makes a late application for free school meals does this write-off any debt that may have already accrued or does the debt have to be paid?
9. If people's Universal Credit income varies from month to month does it have an effect on their free school meal entitlement? If so, what effect?
Response
1. Yes, No pupil will be allowed to go hungry and they will choose from the normal menu.
b) The School office will issue a note to allow the pupils to be fed.
c) Yes – asked to bring money in
2. Pupils would be given a school lunch no provision would be made for morning break. They would choose form the normal menu.
3. No – process is for office to chase money and then it would be referred to Pastoral Staff / SLT if money not recovered no further process
9. In cases where Free School Meals entitlement is based on the applicant receiving Universal Credit with monthly earnings less than £625.00, changes in income are reviewed to ensure the applicant still meets the current qualifying criteria.
