Councillors have voted not to support an increase in Council Tax for those living in the higher E-H bands.
22.08.2023 - 07:23 / dailyrecord.co.uk
Payments totalling £3m were made to struggling families across Dumfries and Galloway last year to help support children during the school holidays.
For the last three years, the council has provided holiday food payments over school breaks to all eligible kids who are registered in nursery and pupils in P1 to S6.
In the 2022/23 school year, six holiday food payments were made for the Queen’s funeral, October, Christmas, February, Easter and summer holidays.
Cash was also provided to parents and guardians of eligible kids for school clothing grants.
The financial support is part of the council’s anti-poverty strategy in these tough economic times, and councillors previously asked for regular updates on the situation.
A welfare, revenues, and benefits update report will be tabled at the council’s communities committee next week.
It reads: “The team continue to support the administration of free school meals/school clothing grants and holiday food payments. Payments totalling £3m have been made to families in relation to school year 2022/23.”
The report continues: “Grants for the 2023/24 school session have begun to be made, along with reassessing all eligible nursery children for continuing holiday food payments. 1,802 primary (£134) and 1,159 secondary (£150) school clothing grants have been paid and 287 nursery children have been assessed as eligible for holiday food payments.
“Awaiting start of term to assess children not yet registered and those above school leaving age.”
Meanwhile, the number of school and nursery children who are currently receiving free school meals and holiday food payments was broken down in the report.
As of last month, a total of 4,487 out of 21,260 nursery toddlers, and primary and
Councillors have voted not to support an increase in Council Tax for those living in the higher E-H bands.
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