Sustain welcomes boost to free school meal access

Over half a million more children will become eligible for free school meals, following an announcement by the government that it will extend access to all children in households in receipt of Universal Credit from the start of the 2026/27 academic year.

At present the threshold for pupils in England is £7400 after tax and before benefits, a level that has not changed since its introduction in April 2018. The move, announced ahead of the Spending Review due on 11 June, is expected to help lift around 100,000 children out of poverty. 

Responding to the news, Children's Food Campaign Manager Barbara Crowther said:

"Children who eat a healthy hot lunch are better set up to learn well. Children who learn well are better equipped to earn well. This is actually a very sound investment in our future workforce, the nation's health and our economy.

"We are thrilled that the government is listening to the growing calls of parents, pupils, teachers, health professionals to say yes to healthy school food for all. This move takes England a huge step forward to our long term vision of a universal healthy school meals programme which ends the lunchtime means-testing of our children altogether, and which works so brilliantly in many other countries. 

"We would also love to see this expansion of school meal access accompanied by a solid commitment to ensure adequate funding to support sustainable, healthy procurement - from farmers' fields to pupils' plates. We hope the new cross-government food strategy will be able to build on this huge opportunity to create a win-win for pupils, producers and the planet!"

Children's food parent ambassador Mandy Mazliah, a mum to three children who also teaches cookery and healthy eating, says: 

"As a parent, I'm thrilled the government is extending free school meals to families on Universal Credit. This is such a huge step forward - every child deserves a proper, nutritious meal to help them focus and learn, play and enjoy their school day.

"I'd love to see the government go even further to improve the quality of food offered to children, especially in secondary schools where the options can be really hit or miss. Our children deserve meals that are also nutritious and appealing. We also need a comprehensive food education programme within schools, helping pupils of all ages learn where food comes from and how it grows, how to prepare and cook food, and how to make good choices that support their health now and in the future." 

Isabel Rice, Sustain's Food Poverty Campaign Coordinator said:

"Free school meals are a vital part of a nutritional safety net for children, which don’t just help to address poverty, but help to make children healthier, happier and more successful in the long run.

"We are pleased this government is choosing to prioritize tackling poverty and improving children’s health, which are essential for the future success of the country. We hope this announcement will be followed by other necessary changes such as removing the two-child benefit cap and making sure that benefits cover the cost of living.”

Announcing the initiative, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost-of-living pressures.

“My government is taking action to ease those pressures. Feeding more children every day, for free, 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.

“This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

“It is the moral mission of this government to tackle the stain of child poverty, and today this government takes a giant step towards ending it with targeted support that puts money back in parents’ pockets.

“From free school meals to free breakfast clubs, breaking the cycle of child poverty is at the heart of our Plan for Change to cut the unfair link between background and success.

“We believe that background shouldn’t mean destiny. Today’s historic step will help us to deliver excellence everywhere, for every child and give more young people the chance to get on in life.”

The Labour Party strongly opposed the draconian introduction of the £7400 eligibility threshold back in 2018. We launched our Say Yes to School Food For All campaign to ensure every child is able to access a healthy hot meal in school, without means testing or stigma, as part of the core school day in a state-run education system that is free at the point of access. 

Responding to the news, Sharon Hodgson MP, the chair of the APPG on School Food said: 

“There are few policies that are better for families who are living in poverty than Free School Meals. Providing more children than ever with a healthy, hot, nutritious meal will truly change lives, particularly in the most deprived areas such as the North East. I am so pleased that this Labour Government has commitment to such a transformative measure.

"As the founding and current chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on School Food since 2010, this is something we know will take pressure off parents and support children to be fuelled for the rest of the school day. Alongside this Government’s unprecedented universal primary breakfast club programme, we are going further and faster to support families in poverty.”

Together with our partners in the School Food Review Group, we have been calling for a review of the quality, funding and access to school food, including at a recent parliamentary event and through the launch of a new Superpowers of School Food evidence briefing.

Nick Capstick, chair of the School Food Review Group said:

“The government’s announcement to extend free school meals to all children in households on Universal Credit is monumental for hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty. It means that children can go to school to learn, without the underlying worry of where their next meal will come from. This policy not only eases the immense pressure on household budgets, but gives children a fairer start and a real chance to thrive in school.

"Revising the school food standards to reflect the latest nutritional guidance is also a crucial step forward. Ensuring the food served in schools is healthy and nourishing means that children can count on a consistent, high-quality meal at school - one which, for some, may be the only proper meal they receive that day. The government’s commitment to updating and enforcing the standards alongside the rollout of expanded free school meals is essential to delivering real impact, beyond access.

"Congratulations to the 40 organisations that make up the School Food Review that have collectively campaigned for expanding free school meals for many years. The benefits of free school meals are unmatched leading to higher attendance, attainment, and better health outcomes. We applaud the government for recognising the power of this policy. It is truly transformational for the children who need it most.”

More comments from Sustain & Children's Food Campaign members

Stephanie Slater, Founder and Chief Executive, School Food Matters

Anna Taylor, Executive Director of the Food Foundation

Kate Anstey, Head of Education Policy, Child Poverty Action Group

Daniel Kebede, General Secretary, National Education Union

Naomi Duncan, Chief Executive, Chefs in Schools

Rachel de Souza, Children's Commissioner for England