School meal debt in England
Since 2021, Aberlour Children’s Charity has conducted research into the levels of debt to public bodies (or ‘public debt’) such as council tax, housing arrears and even school meal debt, facing families in Scotland. Our evidence and research has shown that public debt is a key contributing factor to levels of child poverty, and trapping families in poverty
From the 44 schools who provided figures across three council areas, we calculated that at least 23.1% of pupils, not eligible for FSM, are in debt. From the 47 schools who told us of the value of their debt, there was an average debt of £1400 per school. If this was equated across all English state schools the total value of school meal debt in England would stand at £28 million.
At Aberlour we committed to campaign on the issue to tackle public debt to help reduce child poverty and to help those children and families affected. One key element of our campaigning work has been on the specific and pernicious issue of school meal debt, where we evidenced that more than 30,000 children and their families across Scotland had debt related to school meals. The evidence was clear that this was mostly low income, working families who did not qualify for free school meals (FSM), many who were struggling to feed their children at home let alone at school. We believe that no child should ever go hungry, let alone at school, and no child should ever be burdened with debt.
Our campaign resulted in the Scottish Government creating a national school meal debt fund, accessible to local authorities, to cover the costs of writing off school meal debt for struggling families. The campaign also successfully convinced the Scottish Government to expand FSM in Scotland to reach more low income families.
In carrying out this research and campaigning work in Scotland, and through working with UK wide partners, it became apparent that the issue of school meal debt in England was not properly understood. Limited but important information provided by teachers and schools through survey data, along with numerous anecdotal reports in the media, indicated that school meal debt is an issue elsewhere in the UK. So we wanted to better understand the issue as it stands in England and provide evidence where there was a gap.
Over the course of this year, and working with Unity Consulting Scotland, we conducted research into school meal debt in England. Accessing data on this presented more challenges in England than in Scotland due to how this information is held and who holds it. It would have been impossible to contact every school in England and collate the data received, Therefore this research sought to try and get an indicative sense of the problem whilst laying out many of the issues associated with school meal debt across the fragmented education system that exists in England.
To achieve this, using Freedom of Information legislation, we contacted every school in three council areas. These council areas were selected on the basis one was classified as a least deprived area, one most deprived and the other median. From the replies received we were able to get a sense of the average value of debt each school had, the numbers of pupils and families impacted, the support given to children and families in debt, local debt recovery practices and the potential for school pupils in England experiencing ‘hidden hunger’ in schools.
Set against all these issues we asked valid questions about the impact of school meal debt on children and for families experiencing financial distress and food insecurity; not least the consequences for children’s learning and educational attainment, as well as their overall health and well-being. Ultimately this research confirmed that school meal debt is a problem for schools in England, just as it is in Scotland, no matter the socioeconomic status of the council area, but it is worse in more deprived areas.
From the 44 schools who provided figures across three council areas, we calculated that at least 23.1% of pupils, not eligible for FSM, are in debt.From the 47 schools who told us of the value of their debt, there was an average debt of £1400 per school. If this was equated across all English state schools the total value of school meal debt in England would stand at £28 million.
We also asked 15 councils about the extent of the problem of school meal debt and what they and schools in their areas are doing to respond to the issue and to support pupils and families. Concerningly councils were largely unaware of the issue, let alone what was being done to support pupils. Some schools themselves do not know the extent of the problem as all responsibilities for school meals, including debt, has been sub-contracted to third party providers.
We also found some schools draw on school funds to ensure pupils are fed even if in debt. Others have decided not to do so and stop pupils who are in debt from getting a school meal, expecting them to bring in packed lunches instead.
Many schools say that no pupils are in debt due to the pre-paid cashless systems they have in place. Evidence shows that this system and approach has the potential to result in hidden hunger in schools if pupils don't have the money in their account, don’t have food at home for a packed lunch and if there are no measures within schools to ensure that no pupil falls through the cracks.
We were also keen to understand what schools did to recover debt. We found that the debt recovery practices deployed by many schools are supportive and offer payment plans and many write off debt. However, we also found that others take a much more punitive approach which can include court action, debt collection agencies and involving social services.
The UK Government has recently announced an eligibility change for FSM, which it says will provide an additional 500,000 pupils across England with free school meals. This change is welcome and it will undoubtedly ensure that a large number of pupils, currently caught in a trap of school meal debt, food insecurity and at risk of hidden school hunger, can access FSM’s. However, it is vital that the UK Government commits to understanding the issue of school meal debt much better, the numbers of pupils and families impacted and the support given to those affected and ultimately they must assess if this eligibility change will eradicate the potential for school meal debt in England?
Our concern is that because of the ongoing cost of living crisis, rising inflation, especially food inflation, not matched by wage and income rises, that even with this FSM eligibility change school meal debt will still be an issue for many in the years ahead. It is reasonable to assume that this welcome policy on expanding FSM will not in itself end child poverty, the rising cost of living or school meal debt.
That is why we hope that the government will listen to our recommendations and our calls for action to help schools, families and most importantly the children affected by school meal debt.
It is time to end hidden school hunger and school meal debt for good.
Our recommendations:
● Recognise school meal debt as an indication of financial hardship for families and include clear actions in the upcoming child poverty strategy to tackle and end school meal debt and hidden school hunger.
● Create a school meal debt fund, resembling the Scottish fund, accessible to all schools and education authorities to help pay off school meal debt for struggling families, therefore assisting schools and their pupils and their families who are in debt.
● Widen the eligibility criteria for FSM to all low income families.
● Introduce national school meal debt guidelines to ensure local authorities, schools and third party providers respond to school meal debt in a consistent way that meets the needs, upholds the rights and supports the welfare of pupils and their families.
● Create a general code of conduct/charter for schools about their support for families in debt and ensure that every child receives a healthy and nutritious meal at school, including those who are in debt.
● Introduce a compulsory National Reporting Mechanism for school meal debt for all schools and third party providers.
● End punitive debt recovery practices for school meal debt and all other school related debts.
● Place conditions on procurement and apply compulsory supportive debt recovery practices on third party providers contracted to provide school meals
