Government expands free school meals to over half a million more children in England: Food Active response

Today the government has announced plans to expand free school meals to over 500,000 more children across England, to include those living in households in receipt of Universal Credit.

Eligibility for this crucial nutritional safety net has previously been very narrow, with only households with an annual income of £7,400 (not including benefits, after tax) being eligible for a free school lunch. This has meant a significant number of children living in poverty have been missing out. The rising cost of living, food in particular, has put even more pressure on household budgets and has only exacerbated the issue of food insecurity.

The government’s own estimates suggest that the expansion will lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty.

This move has been a long time in the making, with many leading charities including the Food Foundation, School Food Matters and Children’s Food Campaign and celebrities including Marcus Rashford MBE calling on the government to expand free school meals to support some of our most vulnerable children.

Also announced as part of the press release is a long overdue review of the School Food Standards, which were last updated in 2015.

Beth Bradshaw, Food Active Policy and Advocacy Manager said:

“We are delighted to see the government prioritise child health today by addressing two long-standing issues relating to school food; including expanding the eligibility of the vital nutritional safety net of free school meals and reviewing the school food standards to ensure they reflect the latest dietary guidance.

“Funding for school meals and monitoring of adherence are two important issues, and we hope that the government are making sufficient provisions ahead of the roll out in September 2026.

“Whilst there is still much more to be done to transform school food environments, improving both eligibility and quality are two fantastic steps in the right direction.”

Read the press release here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/over-half-a-million-more-children-to-get-free-school-meals