Major change to free school meal rules unveiled - saving parents up to £500
Keir Starmer unveiled plans to extend free school meals to all kids in families who get Universal Credit, in a move that could save parents up to £500 a year - in a victory for the Mirror
More than half a million children will become eligible for free school meals from next year in a game-changing boost for families.
Keir Starmer unveiled plans to extend the lifeline benefit to all kids in families who get Universal Credit in England, in a move that could save parents up to £500 a year.
It marks a victory for the Mirror's long-running campaign to widen provision to stop children being too hungry to learn.
The Prime Minister praised our campaign, and told Mirror readers: "My government will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit to give every child the best start in life."
Teachers, doctors, and child poverty campaigners have long called for an overhaul of strict eligibility rules, which mean around 900,000 children living in poverty don't qualify.
Currently, all children in England can get free school meals until the end of Year 2 but after that they only qualify if their family gets certain benefits.
Youngsters whose families claim Universal Credit only qualify if their household earns less than £7,400-a-year after benefits.
But from September 2026, all children in UC households will be able to get a free, nutritious hot meal.
More than 500,000 kids are expected to benefit from the change, and the Government said it would lift 100,000 children out of poverty.
Writing in the Mirror, the Prime Minister said: "I want every child to have every opportunity and the best support to aim high, achieve good grades, and get the best education possible.
"That starts with the basics - it's common sense that children can't do well at school if they're hungry."
He added: "It will put £500 in parents' pockets, help children achieve at school, and ease cost-of-living pressures.
"The Mirror has long campaigned on free school meals, so I'm delighted that we're able to make this announcement today."
Expanding free school meal provision can not only save parents money on packed lunches but also improve children's health, drive up school attendance and improve behaviour and concentration.
Research by School Food Matters last year found 38% of teachers reported that pupils in their classes were regularly too hungry to learn.
Some 24% of heads said their school was operating a foodbank.
Some 2.1 million pupils - almost one in four (24.6%) - in England were eligible for free school meals in January 2024.
The numbers have soared since the start of the Covid pandemic - when 1.44 million children were eligible - in a sign of the pressures on household budgets.
The decision comes as pressure mounts on the Government to do more to address rising levels of child poverty.
Former PM Gordon Brown said last month that Labour must act now to help "austerity's children" as 4.8 million kids could be living in hardship by 2029.
Ministers have delayed publication of a long-promised plan to the autumn amid calls from Labour MPs to scrap the Tory-era two-child benefit limit, which has been blamed for pushing families into hardship.
Campaigners hailed the decision to widen free school meal provision as a "game changer" for families struggling with cost of living pressures.
Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust social mobility charity, said: "This is a significant step towards taking hunger out of the classroom.
"Children can't learn effectively when hungry, so this announcement not only helps to tackle the effects of child poverty, but will also likely help improve education outcomes for disadvantaged young people.
Kate Anstey, head of education policy at Child Poverty Action Group said: "This is fantastic news and a game-changer for children and families.
"At last more kids will get the food they need to learn and thrive and millions of parents struggling to make ends meet will get a bit of breathing space."
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, which campaigned alongside the Mirror, said: 'The National Education Union is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our campaign partner the Mirror in celebrating this historic win.
"After years of joint campaigning, knowing tens of thousands more children will benefit from a hot, healthy school meal is the good news NEU members have been waiting for.
"But we won't stop there. The cost of living still impacts too many children, so we continue to call for Free School Meals for all.
"Let's make sure there is no child left behind.'
Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson, Munira Wilson said: " Liberal Democrats have been pushing hard for this crucial change for years. It's a victory for thousands of passionate campaigners that the Government has finally listened."
She urged the Government to look at auto-enrolling eligible kids so parents aren't put off by paperwork and to consider scrapping the two-child benefit limit.
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