A senior Moray councillor has warned kids are suffering at school because they cannot spend their lunch money at break time.
Older school pupils have their allowance for free school meals loaded onto a card in time for lunch.
But in Moray, there is a growing feeling that children should be able to access the cash at morning break.
This would stave off any hunger if they had missed breakfast.
Buckie councillor Sonya Warren has criticised Moray Council for the length of time taken to find a solution to the problem.
But the local authority says it is working hard to find a way forward.
What’s the problem?
The issue was first raised with Mrs Warren in February when she was chairwoman of the education committee.
Senior pupils from Buckie High School brought a petition to the council in March.
It called for money to be released to those eligible for free lunches so they can get something substantial to eat in the morning as many did not get breakfast.
But as some of the signatories are children, the petition was considered invalid.
According to council rules, those putting their names to a petition must be on the electoral register.
While officers pledged to look at ways of releasing money earlier in the day, a solution has yet to be found.
A process allowing children to submit petitions to the local authority is also unresolved.
Mrs Warren, who is SNP councillor for Buckie and no longer chairwoman of the education committee, has brought the matter up several times since March.
Most recently it was raised at a meeting of the council’s cost-of-living working group earlier this month (November).
She said: “We’re nine months on and there’s still no solution.
“This seems a relatively quick and easy fix that would make a big difference to some of our young people.
Damaging pupils’ education
“Getting the money to pupils so they can have a bowl of soup or a sandwich at morning break should be simple.
“Money is released to parents during holiday time so they can provide food for their children.
“Why can’t that be done so young people, who may not have had breakfast, can get something to eat?”
The Scottish Government provides councils with funding for free school meals.
Those entitled have money allocated on a daily basis so they can get food at lunchtime.
It is paid on to pupils’ Young Scot card that is used to buy meals.
But the money is cleared from the card if it is not used at the end of the day.
Mrs Warren said: “The money is administered on a daily basis and that seems very labour intensive to me.
“And as the cash is wiped from the card at the end of the day, that looks as if those entitled to free lunches are helping to fund the council’s school meals service.
“Until this is sorted we have children whose education is being damaged.
Pupils ‘bearing the brunt’ in cost-of-living crisis
“We have children whose mental health is being damaged and we have children who are going hungry.
“The cost-of-living crisis is getting worse, and it’s children who are bearing the brunt of that.”
A council spokesperson said a workable solution that meets its obligation to provide meals for eligible pupils was being sought.
They said: “Unfortunately, the system doesn’t have the flexibility to easily change how and when money is released.
“Any further information or progress on the matter will be brought to relevant stakeholders, including elected members, as soon as is practicably possible.”
Conversation