Kirklees Council to foot bill for school dinners during Covid-19 crisis

Kirklees Council will fund food for pupils which receive free school meals so they are fed over the Easter holidays after agreeing to cover the cost.

It means around 9,000 eligible children and young people, who might have missed out, will now receive support.

The move during the Covid-19 crisis is set to cost Kirklees Council around £270,000 as it covers the £15 per week, per child cost.

Council Leader Shabir Pandor said the authority “had no hesitation in stepping in”.

He said: “It has only just become clear the Government will not be funding the vast majority of free school meals over the Easter holiday.

“This is a decision we’d make again and again.

“We always aim to help local families, especially those who may be disadvantaged, or in financial difficulty.”

After schools closed in March to the majority of pupils, all children who qualified for free school meals were still entitled to a daily meal, or a voucher.

These were funded by central Government and were provided regardless of whether the child was actually attending school.

However, during the Easter holidays, which ran to April 19, central Government said it will only provide this support to children who are physically attending school.

The government is not funding meals or vouchers for any other children who are eligible for the free school meals.

To help affected families, the council has decided to pick up the bill during this period.

The cost will be £15 per child, per week, and it is estimated that around 9,000 children and young people in Kirklees are eligible for free school meals.

Mr Pandor, who is a Batley councillor, said stepping in would ensure that thousands of children will receive the free meals.

He said: “The children can now receive a healthy and nutritious meal when, in some cases, the only alternative was sadly to go hungry.

“We were not prepared to allow that to happen.”

Schools will contact parents and families directly.