Moray Council to provide free school meal payments during extended school closures and transport disruption
Families in Moray whose children receive income-based free school meals will receive financial support if schools are forced to close for extended periods or pupils are unable to attend because of prolonged school transport failures.
Under the new policy, payments will be made to eligible families when there are three or more consecutive days of unplanned school closure, or three or more consecutive days when pupils cannot attend school because of transport disruption. Payments will be backdated to the first day of the disruption.
The payment rate will be £1.65 per missed meal, reflecting the food cost of a school lunch. Funding will come from unspent catering budgets, meaning there are no additional budget pressures for the council.
The policy has been introduced to help reduce the impact that extended school closures and transport disruption can have on low-income families who rely on free school meals. It will apply only in exceptional circumstances, such as severe weather, blocked roads or power outages, and not for single-day closures or isolated transport issues.
Chair of the Education, Children's and Leisure Services Committee, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said: “We know that free school meals provide important support for many families across Moray. When schools have to close unexpectedly, or children cannot get to school because of prolonged transport disruption, that support is temporarily unavailable.
“This new policy will help ensure that eligible families are not disadvantaged during these exceptional circumstances. It is a practical and compassionate measure that supports our commitment to tackling poverty and improving outcomes for children and young people across Moray.”
The council already has established arrangements in place to make holiday support payments to eligible families and will use the same processes to deliver payments when free school meals cannot be provided during extended disruptions.
The policy applies to children and young people who receive free school meals through low-income qualifying benefits.