Statistics suggest that approximately one fifth of low-income families don’t check to find out if they are eligible for free school meals. According to the School Food Trust, families are missing out on benefits worth approximately £700 per year. It is thought that many parents simply do not know that they can claim.
The number of families that qualify has increased since the increase in unemployment due to the recession The Trust urge any parent to check with their school or local council and start claiming what’s theirs. There appears to be some confusion with parents who work part time thinking that they don’t qualify. It has also been suggested that parents might not want their children to feel stigmatised by being identified as coming from a low-income family.
There are plans to overcome this by changing the system in order to make it impossible for the peers to tell who has what. It is worth stressing that there is no shame in accepting what it rightfully yours if you are entitled to it