Free school meals will be extended to 500,000 more children in England from September next year, as announced by the Department for Education. This change is part of a £1 billion plan set aside by the department up to 2029 and follows new rules that will take effect from September 2026.
Current Eligibility Criteria
Under the current system:
- Children from households earning less than £7,400 a year qualify for free school meals.
- Parents receiving Universal Credit are only eligible if their household meets this income threshold.
New Rules
The new rules will allow:
- Any child whose parents receive Universal Credit to claim free school meals, regardless of their household income.
Purpose of the Change
This initiative aims to:
- Provide more support to families struggling with poverty.
- Ensure children have access to nutritious food during school hours.
Political Reactions
Conservative Party
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the decision during Prime Minister’s Questions, stating:
- "We’re going back on our promise."
- She highlighted that it was Labour who introduced the restrictions and questioned the decision to undo them, citing potential confusion.
Labour Party
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer emphasized his commitment to reducing child poverty:
- "I’m absolutely determined that we’ll drive down child poverty."
- He argued that providing free school meals is an effective way to tackle poverty and give children the best possible start in life, stating:
- "Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make – putting more money in parents’ pockets; tackling the stain of poverty; setting children up to learn."
Current Statistics
- Approximately 2.1 million pupils are registered for free school meals in England, which is roughly a quarter of all pupils, according to figures published last month by schools minister Nick Gibb.
Previous Announcements
In January last year, Rishi Sunak announced plans to extend eligibility criteria so that all pupils whose parents receive Universal Credit would qualify for a meal at no cost, provided they were:
- Under state pension age.
- Not working due to disability or illness.
However, it was later reported that he had been overruled by ministers, who decided that only those under state pension age would qualify, regardless of their employment status or benefits received.
Department for Education Statement
A Department for Education spokesperson stated:
- “We’re committed to supporting families with young people through education policy changes which help reduce inequality.”
- They also mentioned increasing funding per pupil at maintained schools and academies until 2028-29 compared with pre-pandemic levels.
Labour’s Response
In response, Labour’s shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson remarked:
- “It’s welcome news that finally some common sense has prevailed, but it should have happened years ago when Rishi Sunak first made this announcement.”
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