School Meals Arrears Income Policy

 "Achieving our best together"

INTRODUCTION These notes have been prepared for guidance of schools following a number of cases, where significant debts had arisen with the failure by parents/carers to pay for school meals. At the same time, the children had continued to receive a school meal. Such situations need to be dealt with on a timely basis, in view of the vast majority of parents/carers who pay for their meals in advance each week and do not knowingly accumulate arrears. General Principle All school meals should be paid for in advance.  The usual collection day for school meals is Monday (or 1st school day of the week if ever different). Free School Meals Please refer to the Free School Meal Entitlement Guide issued by Student Support, Education Department.  Only those children officially approved by the LEA should receive free school meals. Arrears Collection Procedure Where payments are not being received in advance, and arrears accumulate, the following procedures apply. Up to five (school) days of non-payment. A final letter should be sent to the responsible parent/carer requesting payment for arrears.  This should reiterate that from sixteen days from non-payment the pupil(s) are required to bring in sandwiches for lunch until any arrears are paid.  School meals can continue, however, if payment for current meals taken is received while the arrears are being paid off. In addition, the final letter should state that if payment is not received or suitable repayment arrangements made with the school within twenty one days the debt will be passed to the Local Authority to recover. The school should also remind the family that application for free school meals can be made if thought appropriate. No further school meals should be provided to pupils that have had outstanding arrears forwarded to the Local Authority for recovery unless paid for in advance. Administration Once the final letter deadline has expired and the intention is to pass the arrears to the Local Authority to recover, a letter should be forwarded to Ms Ronan, Operations Controller Catering, detailing: School Name Pupil name Parents/carers name and address Arrears to be recovered (to be passed to the Local Authority) Specific period (dates) to which the arrears relate. Ms Ronan will forward an acknowledgement that the Local Authority is dealing with the recovery of the debt to the school.  These amounts can then be removed from the School Meal Return arrears outstanding and no further collection attempts should be made by the school in respect of these debts. Where a pupil(s) transfers to another school within the Local Authority area, the school should contact the new school to advise them that outstanding unpaid arrears have been forwarded to the Local Authority for collection.  Where the above procedure has been followed and parents/carers still refuse to pay for outstanding meals, but still continue to send their children to school without sandwiches, dinner money or making other suitable arrangements, the family concerned should be referred to the Education Welfare Officer. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in the Local Authority considering recharging schools for excessive arrears.