Give free school meals to all kids on benefits

Hunger can be real barrier to learning

ALL children in families receiving Universal Credit must be given free school meals, unions and school leaders are telling the Government.

One in five pupils in England – or 1.74 million kids – qualify for the free meals.

There is no charge for the term-time food in England until year three but then older pupils are eligible only if their parents receive certain benefits.

Families on UC can get free school meals only if their annual income is less than £7,400, excluding benefits.

The cost-of-living crisis has reignited the row over widening eligibility for the benefit, which has already been committed to in Scotland and Wales.

A letter from unions NEU, ASCL, NASUWT and charity TeachFirst to Chancellor

Rishi Sunak and Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi warned school dinners can be a child’s only hot nutritious meal in a day and hunger can be a “real barrier to learning”.

The group said: “A quality school meal helps improve children’s concentration and behaviour during lessons.

“We witness, first-hand, the effect they can have on improving school attendance, on children’s health, and academic performance.

“The intensifying cost-of-living crisis means many more are now struggling to afford school lunches.

“We see the devastating reality of children coming to school unable to afford to buy lunch because their family circumstances means they fall outside the restrictive free school meal eligibility criteria.” Boris Johnson has previously resisted calls to widen school lunch provision, led by footballer Marcus Rashford who shamed the Government into feeding hungry children during the holidays in the pandemic.

The PM’s food tsar Henry Dimbleby also demanded a major expansion of the benefit by raising the threshold for household income to £20,000, which would extend free lunches to another 1.1 million children.

A government spokesman said on top of £22billion announced previously it is providing more than £15bn in further support.

He said the Holiday Activities and Food programme runs in major school holidays and wider welfare support is available through the Household Support Fund.