Commenting on new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies,
which found that there are 1.7 million pupils in England who are
not eligible for free school meals despite their families being
entitled to universal credit, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of
the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
“It is shameful that so many children continue to miss out on a
scheme with such proven benefits. As this report states, there is
clear evidence that increasing the take-up of school lunches has
a positive impact on living standards, nutrition and attainment
that persists into adulthood. Providing free school meals
alleviates some of the pressure on struggling families and gives
children the guarantee of a healthy meal every day.
“ASCL and many other organisations have long called for free
school meals to be extended to all children whose families are in
receipt of universal credit. This is a simple, immediate step the
government could take to ease the impact of the cost-of-living
crisis which has made life even more difficult for many families.
“Not only has the government ignored these pleas, but it has also
failed to provide enough funding for free school meals to keep
pace with soaring inflation rates. The IFS report states that
funding has fallen by 16% in real terms since 2014, when measured
against the Consumer Prices Index. This is the equivalent of
almost 50p per meal and increases the risk of schools being
forced to cut back on provision at a time when it is a lifeline
for many families. We implore the government to reconsider its
position by improving the funding rate and extending the
provision.”
