Entitlement to the scheme has been shown to benefit a family by up to £400 per year for each child.
Durham County Council said the current system, where families applied themselves, meant some pupils slipped through the net.
The council said 2,000 families across County Durham were likely to be eligible for free school meals, but were not currently in receipt of them. Letters would be sent to families inviting them to opt out if they did not want to have their eligibility checked, the council said. The operation of an "opt out" rather than an "opt in" process has been successfully delivered in several other local authorities and has been proven to remove barriers to families receiving the valuable support.
Entitlement to the scheme has been shown to benefit a family by up to £400 per year for each child, according to theThe scheme starts in September, with a full evaluation taking place in October.How to get help with the cost of school uniforms in WalesChildren 'may go hungry without summer meal payments'
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