Teachers In England Urge Free School Meals For More Pupils

Teachers say more children should be given free school meals to help tackle the rising cost of living in England.

11 educational groups said in a letter seen by UK media, that all children from families who receive universal credit should be eligible as part of an “urgent” expansion of the scheme.

Around one in five pupils about 1.7 million children, receive free school meals.

In its response, government said it recognised households were struggling adding that it had expanded access to the meals more than any other government in recent decades.

The prices of food, fuel and other goods have surged in recent months in the UK, pushing inflation to a 40-year high.

Measures the government have announced to try to tackle the rising cost of living include a £400 energy bill discount for every household.

But the joint letter, sent to Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi by education unions and other organisations claiming to represent one million school staff in England, said vulnerable children not receiving free school meals were facing a real barrier to learning.

In England, all infant state school pupils up to Year Two can get free school meals during term time.

For English pupils in Year Three and above, those living in households on income-related benefits (such as universal credit) are eligible, as long as their annual household income does not exceed £7,400 after tax. That figure does not include welfare payments.

In Northern Ireland the cap is set at £14,000 a year.

Scotland and Wales have recently committed to rolling out free school meal provision to all primary pupils.

The latest call for change follows footballer Marcus Rashford’s successful campaign to extend free school meal vouchers into school holidays during the pandemic.

According to data from the Food Foundation charity, an estimated 2.6 million children in the UK live in households that missed meals or struggled to access healthy food during April.