South Lanarkshire Council has written off £209,000 in school meal debt for 4,181 pupils over the past two years, funded by a Scottish Government grant aimed at relieving financial pressure on families during the cost of living crisis.
A report presented to the council's finance committee on July 1 confirmed that the latest write-off of £9,000 covered 32 pupils, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 4,181. The debt was identified through quarterly reviews with schools, targeting families struggling to make ends meet.
Scottish Government Grant Funds Debt Relief
The write-offs are financed by a £224,000 grant received by the council in 2024/25, specifically allocated to help local authorities clear school meal debt. The fund was established after a campaign highlighted the scale of such debt across Scotland, which had risen sharply due to the cost of living crisis.
First Minister John Swinney said the commitment aimed to ensure no child is penalised for struggling to pay for school meals as a result of the crisis. The Scottish Government made an emergency one-off funding pot available to support councils in removing the impact of the debt.
Political Support for the Initiative
At the time of the grant announcement, Mr Swinney stated: "Too many families are struggling to make ends meet – and my government will take all the action we can to support them. I am determined that we support our children to have the best start in life – that is why we are expanding free school meal provision to ensure every pupil can have a nutritious meal at school and ensuring no child is penalised simply because their family is struggling."
The council's finance committee noted that the debt write-off has directly helped thousands of children from low-income families access school meals without the burden of accumulated debt. The initiative aligns with broader efforts to expand free school meal provision across Scotland.
