Greens cancel £3 million of school meal debt owed by struggling families

Almost £3 million worth of school meal debt has been written off thanks to the Scottish Greens, according to new data on the scale of debt write-offs being published.
School meal debt worth £2,877,287.97 has been cancelled by 29 councils across Scotland. The massive debt write-off was paid for through a national fund secured by the Scottish Greens during their period in Government.
This followed years of campaigning on the issue by Scottish Green’s education spokesperson, Ross Greer MSP. Research published by Greer in 2021 was the first to show that over £1 million of school meal debt was owed across Scotland. The subsequent cost of living crisis resulted in a rapid rise in the number of families struggling to pay for school meals.
Welcoming the new statistics, Mr Greer said:
“I’ve heard first hand from teachers who dreaded the thought of having to chase their pupils for debt. It’s obvious that children cannot learn effectively if they are hungry or stressed and embarrassed by their family finances.
“That’s why I worked during the Greens’ time in government to wipe this debt out. Behind today’s news are thousands of struggling families who have been given a bit of much needed financial relief.
“The Scottish Greens have championed free school meals for many years. We secured the expansion to all Primary 4 and 5 pupils and the upcoming rollout to P6 and P7 children who receive the Scottish Child Payment.
“Cancelling this debt was an important measure and we are proud to have delivered it, but we will continue to pressure the Scottish Government to expand the number of children eligible for a free meal in the first place.”