November 13, 2024
By Harry Mottram: Labour councillors in Bath and North East Somerset are planning to put pressure on the ruling Lib Dem run council to increase the number of children receiving free school meals. They plan to do this through ‘auto-enrolling’ which essentially means if the school or social services know which children come from homes which have a combined income of less than £7,400 a year, or £617 a month, before benefits, they will automatically be given a free school meal.
Their reasoning is that nationally around one in ten school children could have free school meals as they come from households that qualify. On Thursday, 21st November, 2024, at the Council meeting, the Labour official opposition group, has a motion asking all councillors to vote for B&NES to make a switch from granting free school meals to families who apply, to automatically enrolling those children they know who come from low-income families. In this area that could mean some 27,000 children could benefit from auto-enrolment say Labour while the schools would benefit with more funding. Once a child is registered for free school meals, this triggers extra funding (pupil premium funding) for the school to use to support the children across the community.
Several local authorities adopted the administration change in recent years, with all reporting an increase in learning outcomes – shorthand for improved exam results. The health of school children was also reported as having improved along with behaviour and concentration levels. The Labour motion asks councillors to require the Lib Dem Cabinet to make auto-enrolment a priority so it’s in place next September, and to provide regular updates from January to the Children’s Health and Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel, to ensure the work is staying on-track.
Proposing this change, Labour’s Lesley Mansell (Radstock) said, “The link between food insecurity and health is clear. Auto-enrolling is a simple opportunity that B&NES should take, to improve the lives of young people and their families. It will benefit them, their schools and their future prospects.”
Families don’t always take up free school meals if they have to apply due to a mix of social reasons including the stigma associated with them and the fear their children may be teased, plus there is the pride factor as it may go against their own feelings in having to apply for the benefit, also there’s the complex application process and sometimes they are not aware of the scheme. Eligibility for free school meals in B&NES is available for families receiving a number of benefits including: Universal Credit; Income Support; Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance; Income Related Employment and Support Allowance; Child Tax Credit; Working Tax Credit; Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit and support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
In 2018 the then Lib Dem opposition called on the council’s ruling Conservatives to call on the Government to work with schools, academies and local authorities to raise awareness of families’ eligibility for Free School Meals and encourage all those entitled to Free School Meals to take them up.
Last year Wera Hobhouse Bath’s Liberal Democrat MP, signed a cross-party letter from 56 MPs to the Chancellor calling for free school meals for all primary school pupils to be included in the budget on 15th March. In May of this year the Liberal Democrats called on the next Government to introduce free school meals for all primary school children. Currently only children in reception and year 1 and 2 universally have free school meals.
Labour Leader on B&NES Robin Moss said, “Tackling child poverty is a key priority of the Labour Government. We have significant pockets of deprivation and struggling families here – B&NES Council need to take full advantage of the funding that government’s made available to them – let’s pull out every stop.”
The Full Council Meeting takes place on November 21st, 2024.
Parent and guardians can make their application for free school meals at: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals
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