Aberlour's School Meal Debt Briefing

Aberlour Children’s Charity has campaigned to see an end to school meal debt in Scotland.

That children should ever be burdened with debt or could be denied a meal at school because of that debt goes against everything that seems fair and just.

School meal debt is a symptom of families not having enough money to provide for their children. Tackling child poverty must include ending school meal debt and hidden school hunger.

Aberlour’s research has shown that school meal debt has been on the rise year on year as ever more families struggle to feed their children at home let alone at school.

• In 2023, more than 30,000 children across Scotland had school meal debt, totalling £1.8 million.
• By 2024, local authorities reported that school meal debt had increased to £2.8 million.

At Aberlour we see families every day who rely on foodbanks because they can’t afford to feed their families. We see parents going without so that their children can eat. We see children arrive at school having had no breakfast.

Aberlour’s campaign to #EndSchoolMealDebt successfully persuaded the Scottish Government to write off nearly £3 million of school meal debt through the introduction of the School Meal Debt Fund.

We welcomed this clear action to tackle school meal debt.

However, to end school meal debt and hidden school hunger for good, we must extend free school meal eligibility to all low-income families in Scotland—starting with all families receiving the Scottish Child Payment.