Angus Council has apologised after a letter sent to parents left some with the impression school children would be refused meals.
The letter from Inverbrothock Primary School regarding its online payment system said “lunches will not be provided if an individual account has a negative balance greater than £10.50”.
However, the local authority has now admitted the wording in the message was not clear.
An Angus Council spokesman said: “The online payment system, recently introduced in Angus schools, gives parents and carers an easier and more secure way to pay for school meals.
“We have set a threshold of £10.50 on the school meal system to help people manage their accounts. If the threshold is reached we contact the parent or carer to see if there are any concerns or issues that we should be aware of and provide them with information on available assistance.
“The purpose of the letter issued was to remind parents and carers of that £10.50 threshold – however, we accept that the wording has caused some concern. We apologise for any distress caused and are now taking steps to address this.
“Where a parent or carer contacts us to highlight any difficulties they are experiencing, we will always work with them to ensure that a solution is found, to ensure that no child goes without a lunchtime meal.”
All children from primary one to three are entitled to free school meals. The entitlement is also open to older pupils if their families receive Child Tax Credit, do not receive Working Tax Credit and have an annual income below £16,010.