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Last day pledge to sign up for children’s free school meals.

Peterborough City Council's director for education has made a plea to parents to sign up for free school meals no later than 6 October.

Parents should contact their children's school to make an application on their behalf and the school will get £1,300 of funding.

Speaking to members of the Children and Education Scrutiny Committee this week, Jonathan Lewis pointed out that: “The Government scheme for helping children from low-income families by providing them with free school meals has been extended once again.

The cut off point for Government spending on school meals runs out on 6 October but it doesn't mean children in Peterborough will go without if they miss the deadline (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

“The schools can receive £1,300 of additional funding for this scheme if parents have applied to them before the deadline which is 6 October 2022.

“This only applies to the funding the schools will get from the government – I want to make it very clear that parents can apply for their children to get free school meals after that date.

“But it would be very nice for our schools if they could benefit fully before the deadline passes.”

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Peterborough City Council has issued 13,887 vouchers to schools in the city from the recent Summer Holiday Food Support Scheme.

However, four per cent of the vouchers that were ordered by schools have gone unclaimed.

But they will be available to families on application through their school.

The weekly £15 voucher for free school meals started in the pandemic for children of families on low income.

Mr Lewis added: “We still have some vouchers left over from the previous issue available for those families who have not yet signed up for the scheme, and I would urge any family that is struggling to contact the council as soon as possible to see if they are eligible for these vouchers.

“We had several thousand vouchers left over from the previous issue, and rather than have them expire – which they do after two years – we have been giving them to those families who perhaps just fall short of the eligibility criteria, but who have applied and so we have given them vouchers.

“So, even if you think your family is not within the criteria initially, contact us anyhow and you may find that we can still help you.”

Christmas Food Vouchers worth £35 will also be issued for food later this year.

Peterborough City Council: Director of education's plea for parents to sign up to free school meals on last day