Issue - meetings

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to note that the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment would circulate information to Members outwith the meeting on the number of children entitled to free school meals who did not take up the offer;

(ii)        to agree to introduce a policy of extending free school meal entitlement to families in receipt of Universal credit in respect of:

(a)  Single claimants working less than 16 hours per week with a gross annual income of less than £16,105; and

(b)  Joint claimants working less than 24 hours per week with a gross annual income of less than £16,105; and

(iii)       to instruct the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to implement the extended provision from 26 October 2020.

With reference to article 8 of the minute of its meeting of 16 May 2019, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Customer Services which had been prepared in response to the Committee instruction that officers investigate whether the Council should develop a free school meals policy to address anomalies in legislation following the implementation of Universal Credit.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)       agree to introduce a policy of extending free school meal entitlement to families in receipt of Universal credit in respect of:

(i)    Single claimants working less than 16 hours per week with a gross annual income of less than £16,105; and

(ii)  Joint claimants working less than 24 hours per week with a gross annual income of less than £16,105; and

(b)       instruct the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to implement the extended provision from 26 October 2020.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to note that the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment would circulate information to Members outwith the meeting on the number of children entitled to free school meals who did not take up the offer; and

(ii)        to approve the recommendations.