Free School MEals
Dear South-Eastern Education and Library Board (Northern Ireland),
Would please advise under FOI the following,
1. Is there an emergency or other provision for children who have an entitlement to Free School Meals; who's parents have made an application for theses free meals and returned the forms in plenty of time and through no fault of their own a processing error or lost paperwork between departments (i.e between yourself and any benefit agency), especially where there is a documented paper trail and postal receipts, when these children are still not in receipt of Free School Meals when returning to school by August/September 2013.
2. In such circumstances as outlined in Q.2 can a parent pay for the School Meals and send the receipts to your department for reimbursement.
Yours faithfully,
Mr W Waterson
2nd September 2013
Dear Mr W Waterson
Re: Information Request received on 31st August 2013 . Our Ref: RFI/962
Further to your recent information request which is receiving attention.
We are currently considering your request in more detail and will forward
a response to you as soon as possible but not later than the 30th
September 2013. .
If for any reason this situation changes, we will notify you.
Yours sincerely
Alberta Park
Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
South Eastern Education and Library Board
Grahamsbridge Road
Dundonald
BT16 2HS
26^th September 2013
Dear Mr W Waterson
Re: Request for Information received on 31^st August 2013 . Our Ref:
RFI/962
Further to your recent request for information. Please find detailed the
following information:-
1. Copy of your initial request detailed below.
2. The following information as per your request:
The South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB) Meals and Uniforms
Department issue application forms to claimants during the last week in
May each school year. Parents are requested to immediately return the
completed application forms directly to the Board in order to avoid any
delay in the processing of their school meal claim.
The processing time to determine eligibility for School Meals is normally
within 2 weeks of receipt of the completed application form, however it
may take up to 6 to 8 weeks during the busy period to process all
applications This usually takes place during the last week in August and
the beginning of September to allow for receipt of late application
forms.
The SEELB Meals and Uniform Department has robust checking and monitoring
procedures in place to identify any processing errors which may occur
during the application processing period. This is particularly active
during the open application period of May to September.
If a parent notifies the Board they are in a financial hardship situation
due to the Board not having received their completed application form
(issued by the Meals and Uniform Department in May prior to the beginning
of the new school year in September) the following Meals and Uniform
Department procedure comes into force:
· Parents will be issued with a second copy of the application
form and advised as follows:
To either take the completed application form which has been stamped by
their local Social Security Office, or take the completed application form
accompanied by a copy of the original HMRC Tax Award to the school
secretary.
The school secretary will in turn contact the Board on behalf of the
parent to advise that a copy of the form will be forwarded to the School
Meals Department of the SEELB by FAX.
SEELB School Meals Department staff will immediately check the faxed
documentation in order to determine the eligibility of the applicant and
telephone the school secretary to advise of entitlement.
On the infrequent occasion when this may happen, School Meals will be
provided on the same day or the following day.
The SEELB School Meals Department does not offer a refund of the cost of
school meals, as the procedure outlined above is in place to assist
parents who find themselves in a hardship situation due to the
non-provision of a school meal.
Please note that the Board’s FOI Request Handling Procedures are available
on the Board’s website on [1]www.seelb.org.uk/foi
If you have any complaints in respect of your information request, please
write to the Chief Executive at the address below and your complaint will
be handled in accordance with the Board’s Comments and Complaints Policy.
Yours sincerely
Alberta Park
Information Manager
Freedom of Information Unit
South Eastern Education and Library Board
Grahamsbridge Road
Dundonald
BT16 216
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