Scrooge council threatens to take away pupils' Christmas meals if they owe any dinner money – even if they pay for it

Ysgol Y Parc School in Denbigh did not approve the notice before it was sent out and Denbighshire council has apologised for its mistake.

The letter states that even if the pupils turn up on the day with the £2.20 to pay for the meal, they won't be given the food, it will simply be taken off their debt.

Parents called the letter "threatening and intimidating" and it was brought before the full council in a meeting yesterday.

This isn't the first time parents of Ysgol Y Parc pupils have received threatening letters about dinner money debt.

At the start of the school term, a single mum was threatened with social service action when she had a debt of £13.50 unpaid.

The recent letter said: "It is Ysgol Y Parc's school Christmas dinner on December 6 and for your child to partake in this please ensure that all dinner money arrears are paid up to date.

"I'm afraid WE WILL NOT accept £2.20 on the day – or leading up to that date. If £2.20 is received this will be taken off the arrears.

"If you cannot pay, please ensure a packed lunch is provided."

Parents lashed out at the move on social media, calling it "horrendously wrong".

One said: "This could be the only Christmas dinner some children receive."

Another added: "This happened to me last year so I kept my children off for the day."

Both letters were discussed at full council yesterday and lower Denbigh councillor Rhys Thomas asked what steps were being taken to ensure such letters were sent out again.

Cllr Thompson-Hill the cabinet member for finance said: “It was an old letter, it was one that hadn’t been updated for a number of years and quite frankly it shouldn’t have been issued.

“For the letter on the Christmas dinner I have to put my hands up, that should never have been issued.

"It wasn’t accurate in the first instance and unfortunately it had not gone through the proper approval process."

A spokesman for Denbighshire Council said: "We would like to apologise for the mis-communication. It was an error on our part.

“The purpose of the letter was to remind parents of the need to settle outstanding lunch monies, or to contact us to work out a payment plan and should not have referred to the Christmas meal."

Source: Read Full Article