Cost of Sandwell school meals set to rise

The price of school meals is set to increase in a borough in the Black Country, causing further misery for hard-up families.

A family with two children could pay an extra £40 a year for the meals in Sandwell. The council today blamed soaring overheads for the increase.

A total of 11,000 pupils have school dinners in Sandwell. Despite freezing prices for the last two years, a rise of 50p a week has been put forward. The plans are to be discussed at a meeting on Thursday.

In a report to be presented to the meeting, officers said increased costs, including those created by the new single status pay system, has added more than £200,000 per year to the annual bill.

This figure is expected to rise again over the next three years.

Under the proposed increases, primary school meals including a drink will go up from £1.70 to £1.80 a day. Secondary and adult meals including a drink will go up from £1.75 to £1.85.

Sandwell Council's cabinet member for children and families Councillor Bob Badham said the rises were unavoidable.

He said: "The school meals provider has held prices for two years to protect children and families during the recession.

"However, if they are going to continue to provide good nutritional food they need to raise prices to take account of government cutbacks and inflation.

"The proposed rise works out at 50p a week and is the absolute minimum required.

"Prices will still be among the lowest in the West Midlands.

"Ten thousand pupils in Sandwell are entitled to free school meals so the least well-off families will be protected from the impact of any price rises."

Cash currently provided to cover the cost of the service through the Working Neighbourhood Fund is set to stop and there is also uncertainty about the future of the targeted school meals grant.