Nearly £38,000 Owed by 1600 Pupils
Stirling SNP Councillors are calling for school dinner debt relief for local families, amidst increasing household budget pressures from the Tory cost of living crisis.
Recently released figures from Stirling Council show 1,681 pupils have unpaid school lunch fees, totalling £37,750.10.
The Stirling SNP Council Group is submitting a motion calling for rapid relief for struggling children and families, praising Scottish Government commitments to universal school meals for P1-5 pupils – with plans to go further.
Cllr Susan McGill, Stirling SNP spokesperson for Children & Young People, said:
‘The Stirling Tories should stop making excuses for their Westminster bosses and start making amends by supporting this motion. Stirling Council cannot in good conscience seek to take this money from the pockets of hungry families. We urge the Tory-Labour administration to do right by our residents and do all that is possible to right the wrongs of Westminster incompetence.’
Cllr Brian Hambly, Stirling SNP Spokesperson for Housing, said:
‘The stories coming through our inboxes would break your heart – families choosing between heating and eating, parents going hungry to feed their kids, frontline workers walking to work because they can’t afford fuel. Our communities deserve better than this – Labour must shake off the cold hand of their Tory handlers and do the right thing.’