Over 100,000 children not getting free school meals due to inflation
Government accused of ‘snatching school lunches away by stealth’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.More than 100,000 children in England are missing out on free school meals because of inflation, new research shows.
The government has been accused of using a freeze on the eligibility threshold to “snatch school lunches away by stealth”.
Controversial rules mean families may receive free school meals only if their income is less than £7,400 a year before benefits and after tax.
If the limit had been allowed to rise in line with inflation, it would now be £8,575 – making around 110,000 more children eligible, according to analysis by the Liberal Democrats.
Munira Wilson, the education spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, said: “The government is snatching school lunches away from children by stealth.”
The senior MP added: “Every year that ministers keep this callous policy, thousands of children in hard-working families, struggling to make ends meet, lose out. Freezing the threshold is morally, economically and politically bankrupt.”
The government has so far refused campaigners’ calls to extend the eligibility of free school meals, despite growing evidence of the devasting impact of the cost of living crisis.
The Independent has partnered with the Food Foundation for the Feed the Future campaign, calling for an extension of free school meals to all children in poverty in England.
The Lib Dems, the Green Party, senior Labour and Tory MPs have backed the call to widen support to the estimated 800,000 children in poverty unable to get free school meals because of their family’s income.
To make change happen, please sign the petition by clicking here.
However, Rishi Sunak and his chancellor Jeremy Hunt are set to reject any extension of free school meals in the 17 November autumn statement.
Education secretary Gillian Keegan has said free school meals are “always kept under review” but the chancellor has no plans to widen eligibility next week, according to The Sun.
Department for Work and Pensions figures show that close to 1.1 million children from the ages of five to 16 in England live in households below the threshold. But nearly 1.2 million children would be under the limit if it had risen with inflation.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “We understand the pressures many households are under. That is why we are supporting more children and young people than ever before.
“Over a third of pupils in England currently receive free school meals in education settings and we are investing up to £24m in our national school breakfast programme, which provides free breakfasts to children in schools in disadvantaged areas,” they added.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments