This policy will take effect at the start of the 2026 academic year, replacing the draconian eligibility criteria that currently limits free school meals to households earning less than £7,400 annually. The government estimates this expansion will extend access to over half a million additional children.
Poverty and food insecurity put children at a huge disadvantage, with research showing that nutritious lunches significantly improve children’s ability to learn in school.
Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that rates of food insecurity are significantly higher for families claiming Universal Credit. Nearly 30% of families claiming Universal Credit were classified as food insecure in 2021–22; six times the rate among families not claiming this benefit.
In addition to the £410 million per year, the government will also invest £80 million annually by 2028-29 for early years and post-16 settings, to support this expansion. This represents a 70% increase in spending on free school meals.
The government estimates that this expansion will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the Parliament, in what it calls a “downpayment” ahead of publication of the Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn.
We are thrilled to see the government take clear actions toward its goal of creating the healthiest generation of children yet. You can read more about our reaction to the policy here.
