Reports say that students of North Somerset not claiming their free meals actually cost their schools hundreds of thousands of pounds. This has caused schools to lose around 375,000 as about 375 students eligible for free meals are not availing it. Citing the huge loss North Somerset Council is now trying to pick out those families to make them aware of the facility given. This will also help the council better understand about people already availing housing benefits.
Every pupil in a school is given a premium of £900 every year for free school meals. Around 1,500 children of the district have signed up for free dinners. Information of people who are eligible for free school meal has been put up both on the council’s and the individual school’s website.
