Over Half a Million More Children to Receive Free School Meals in England: A Historic Step Against Child Poverty

More than half a million additional children in England are set to benefit from a free, nutritious school meal every day, following a government announcement to expand eligibility for free school meals to all children in households receiving Universal Credit. This unprecedented expansion aims to save parents £500 annually and represents a significant move in the fight against child poverty.

As part of the government’s Plan for Change, from the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil whose household receives Universal Credit will be newly entitled to free school meals. This initiative is designed not only to make life easier and more affordable for struggling parents, but also to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure children have the best start in life.

The expansion is expected to lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty. Providing children with a nutritious meal during the school day has been shown to lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour, and better educational outcomes, ultimately enhancing their chances of success in work and life. Previously, hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty were ineligible due to a household income threshold of £7,400 per year.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasised that his government is taking action to ease cost-of-living pressures on working parents. He stated that feeding more children for free every day is “one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents’ pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn.” Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson reinforced that tackling child poverty is the government’s moral mission, viewing this step as a “giant step towards ending it.”

In addition to this, the government is allocating over £13 million in funding to 12 food charities across England to redistribute thousands of tonnes of fresh produce directly from farms to combat food poverty in communities, including for schoolchildren. This “Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate” scheme aims to ensure edible food that might otherwise be wasted ends up on the plates of those who need it.

To ensure the quality and nutritional value of future meals, the government is also working swiftly with experts to revise the School Food Standards, providing schools with the latest nutrition guidance. This new entitlement will apply to children in all settings currently delivering free school meals, including schools, school-based nurseries, and Further Education settings.

This announcement is the latest in the government’s Plan for Change, which aims to break the unfair link between background and opportunity. Previous actions include rolling out free breakfast clubs, expanding government-funded childcare to 30 hours a week for working parents, and committing to cap the number of branded school uniform items.

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