Nearly £3m of school meal debt has been written off after a national fund was created to help struggling families. Pupils in Aberdeen were the biggest beneficiary after figures showed over £400,000 of debt was cancelled.
Green MSP Ross Greer said: “I’ve heard first hand from teachers who dreaded the thought of having to chase their pupils for debt. It’s obvious that children cannot learn effectively if they are hungry or stressed and embarrassed by their family finances.
“Cancelling this debt was an important measure and we are proud to have delivered it, but we will continue to pressure the Scottish Government to expand the number of children eligible for a free meal in the first place.”
The write-off fund was a response to growing alarm over school meal debt incurred by families during the cost of living crisis. One council was sending out sheriff officers to force people to pay up with the threat of homes being raided and property seized.
The fund was opened last year and 29 councils have drawn on the national pot to clear parental debt. Glasgow council was given £655,032 to write off debt while the figure for Edinburgh and Highland standS at £89,321 and £115,747.
East Ayrshire council benefited from £82,180 of debt cancellation, East Dunbartonshire drew on £74,230 and the figure for Aberdeenshire is £145,751.
First Minister John Swinney said of the fund last year: “As First Minister, my ambition is to eradicate child poverty – and today I am pleased that we are continuing progress to ensure that no child or their family is penalised for struggling to pay for a school meal during a cost of living crisis they did not create.
“School meal debt can have a real impact on the wellbeing of families and can serve to stigmatise children whose families are going through challenging times. Local authorities can now bid to receive funding from a one-off Scottish Government fund which will support them to remove the impact of school meal debt.”
All pupils in primary one to five receive free school meals and campaigners have pushed for the policy to apply to the latter years. The SNP Government is extending free meals to pupils in primary 6 and 7 if they are from a low income family.
Greer, whose party pushed for the national fund, said: “Behind today’s news are thousands of struggling families who have been given a bit of much needed financial relief. The Scottish Greens have championed free school meals for many years. We secured the expansion to all Primary 4 and 5 pupils and the upcoming rollout to P6 and P7 children who receive the Scottish Child Payment.”
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