3 days ago
Free school meals offer in Wales under review
Free school meals offer in Wales under review
The Welsh Government said it is looking at expanding the offer in line with England - to include secondary aged children whose parents are on Universal Credit
Children of parents on Universal Credit in Wales are not automatically entitled to free school meals
The free school meal offer to children in Wales is under review, the Welsh Government has confirmed. At the moment all primary school aged children are eligible for free school meals regardless of household income.
Once they go on to secondary school they are no longer entitled to this offer, which then depends on their parents income, even if they receive Universal Credit. Currently, their household must earn less than £7,400 a year to qualify. Some school leaders have questioned the fairness of children from high income families receiving free meals at primary while those from lower income families at secondary are not.
This week the UK government announced it is extending the free school meal offer in England to include all school children whose parents receive Universal Credit, regardless of their income.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the change will make 500,000 more pupils eligible and "help families who need it most".
Asked whether Wales would now follow suit a Welsh Government spokesperson confirmed that children of parents on Universal Credit in Wales are not automatically entitled to free school meals but said this was now being reconsidered: 'More than two thirds of Welsh learners can access the offer of a free meal every day in schools, including all primary school learners and eligible families in secondary school. We are keeping the eligibility criteria under review'. Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
Currently 22.9% of children in Wales aged five to 15 meet the family income criteria to be eligible for free school meals - although for primary aged children that is automatic anyway.
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The Welsh Government has recently announced a healthier food plan for school meals and you can read details of what foods will be allowed and what won't here.
It comes after criticism that free school meals in Wales were not healthy enough.
Some heads have been lobbying for the Welsh Government's free school meal offer to be extended to children aged 11 and above.
Schools including Monmouth High and St Martin's in Caerphilly have run free breakfast clubs because children and teenagers were arriving for lessons hungry and you can read more about that here .
Families not eligible for free school meals at secondary may still struggle to pay for lunches and snacks for their older children, school say. Those eligible also need more than just the lunch offer and don't have cash for snacks and breakfast, staff have reported.
Families not eligible for free school meals at secondary may still struggle to pay for lunches and snacks for their older children.
Those eligible also need more than just the lunch offer and don't have cash for snacks and breakfast, staff have reported.
Who gets free school meals in Wales?
Currently children may be able to get free school meals if their parents get any of the following:
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Child Tax Credit (as long as you don't also get Working Tax Credit and your annual income is £16,190 or less before tax)
The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit - your household earnings must be less than £7,400 a year after tax. This does not include any income from benefits.
The local authority where a learner goes to school (not where they live) is responsible for providing the free school meal as well as for assessing the eligibility. Foster children can claim free school meals as long as the foster parent is eligible.
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