Council's free school meals appeal to remaining eligible families

The Council is calling on those families in the county who may be eligible for free school meals to get in touch.

In recent weeks, the Council has put in place a system where it provides payments instead of free school meals, with £19.50 being paid to parents or guardians, per child per week.

So far, over 1,500 parents/ guardians (3,000 children) are benefitting from the free school meals payments, but the Council estimates that up to 400 more families could be eligible. Despite phone calls and correspondence, these families have not come forward.

The Council moved quickly to put plans to deliver free school meals, once the school closures were announced. Within a matter of days, the Council had put in place a way of providing meals to children that were legally entitled to receive them.

This system was replaced by the direct payments method, where the Council pays money directly into the bank accounts of parents and guardians, making sure they are paid money to feed their children. Staff from the Council have been in touch with the vast majority of families and arranged payments. However, there are families that are more difficult to reach and despite extensive efforts, they have so far yet to come forward.

If parents or guardians believe they are eligible, they are urged to click here for more information.