A council has frozen school meal prices for the third year running in a move it says is to help parents and carers with the cost of living crisis. Families buying school meals for their children in Swansea will continue to pay £2.40 a day next term.
It is the third year in a row that school meal prices have been frozen, despite "significant cost pressures", Swansea Council said.
Swansea's cabinet member for education Improvement, learning and skills, Robert Smith said: "We are keenly aware of the pressures facing families at the moment and are looking at options across the council to help."
Read more: How much school meals cost in every part of Wales and the free food lottery
"The council made a series of policy commitments in June to support our communities and the freeze in school meal prices was one of these which I'm pleased we are delivering."
Cllr Smith reminded parents and carers getting benefit payments they are among those eligible for free school meals and is urging all those who think they might qualify to check.
"Most schools in Swansea operate a safe and secure cashless payment system making the process as seamless as possible. It's really important for their education that children get a nutritious, satisfying lunch to help them re-charge their batteries and to be at their best for afternoon lessons."
Primary school meal prices vary by as much as 50p in different parts of Wales from £2.10 to £2.60. Secondary prices range by 70p from to £2.35 to £3.05. More than one in four children in Wales now live in families on incomes low enough to qualify for free school meals. Of the 380,139 pupils aged five to 15 in Wales 26.9% are eligible for free school meals or transitionally protected to receive them until the end of the rollout of Universal Credit in December 2023.
In Swansea primary and secondary meals continue to cost £2.40, 10p more than they did in September 2018. Across the city 4,576 (25%) of primary pupils, 2.998 (20.78%) of secondary pupils and 91 (42.92%) of special school pupils are eligible for free school meals.
The list of who is eligible for free school meals
Children whose parents or carers receive the following support payments are entitled to receive free school meals in schools maintained by the council, Swansea Council's website says. The term 'parent' includes someone living in the household as the partner of a child's biological parent.
- Universal Credit if your annualised net earnings are £7400 or less*
- Income Support
- Income based Job Seekers Allowance
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance
- Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Child Tax Credit where total annual income (as assessed by Her Majesty's Revenue and Custom service) is less than £16,190 a year
- Working Tax Credit 'run-on' - this is the payment someone receives for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit (usually when their employment ceases or after they start to work less than 16 hours per week). Any other type of Working Tax Credit will not make you entitled to free school meals.
Pupils who receive Income Support or Income based Job Seekers Allowance in their own right are also eligible to receive free school meals.
People can check whether they are eligible for free school meals online here or can phone the council on 01792 635353 Cllr Smith said.
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