Families in Orkney encouraged to check free school meal entitlement

The school summer holidays are well underway and we want to remind families to check whether or not they may be entitled to free school meals and the associated benefits this could bring.

More families than ever before in Orkney are benefiting from free school meals and the linked school clothing allowance – however, OIC is urging anyone who may still be missing out to check to see whether or not they are eligible.

The Scottish Government and Council Leaders have agreed to increase the clothing grant to £150 for an eligible secondary student and £120 for an eligible primary school pupil.

Over the past academic year, the OIC has paid 283 free school meal and clothing grants - with 184 and 99 pupils benefiting in primary and secondary schools respectively.

Families may also be eligible for school meal payments during the holiday periods.

Chair of Education, Leisure and Housing, Councillor Gwenda Shearer said: “We simply do not want anyone missing out on benefits to which they are entitled. We are trying to make the application process as easy as possible for families and we have staff on standby to help if necessary.”

The Council’s 2022/2023 applications for both allowances are open and can be applied for via the Council website's School Benefit page (www.orkney.gov.uk/School-Benefit).

For anyone who is unable to access the online application form they can call 01856 873535 and a paper copy form will be posted to them. Anyone having difficulty filling out the forms should contact the Council Offices and ask for Heather Manson on 01856 873535 extension 2416.

Applications require to be made every year.

Councillor Shearer added: “There is an historic sense of ‘under claiming’ – and it is a sensitive issue. We fear that some families don’t want to be seen to be in the ‘free meals’ category. However, it is an ‘entitlement’ and nobody should be embarrassed or worried about accessing it as it is an entirely confidential process and the entitlement of universal free school meals is now includes all P1-P5 pupils. This is going some way to help reduce any perceived stigma attached.

“We would also urge families to apply as it also has a knock-on beneficial effect for school budgets. For schools, some of the direct funding (Pupil Equity Fund) is determined by free meal numbers, so in effect schools’ budgets are in effect ‘harmed’ by low numbers of uptake.

“At the heart of this are families who are entitled, and we want to ensure you can access those benefits. We have had families apply not sure at all that they would be eligible only to discover they were and have received not only free school meals and the clothing allowance but £130 per child in cash payments as a result of special Covid-related grants at October and Christmas. By applying now, it may open up further pandemic support grants to them.”

Pupils are eligible if their families receive any of the following benefits or support:

• Income Support.
• Income-based Job Seekers’ Allowance.
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
• Universal Credit where the monthly earned income does not exceed £660
• Child Tax Credit only – income must be under £17,005
• Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit – income must be under £7,920
• Support under Part VI of Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Children attending nursery for full days and children in P1-P5 are automatically entitled to receive free school meals.

Further information is available here on the Council website's School Meals and Clothing Allowances page.