Council leaders welcome the expansion of free school meals but warn they face data sharing and resource challenges when it comes to ensuring all eligible children are included in the scheme.
Taking effect at the beginning of the 2026 school year, the expansion of the initiative means every pupil whose household is on Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals.
The Government estimates the extension of the scheme will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty.
‘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,’ said Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Kate Anstey, head of education policy at Child Poverty Action Group, welcomed the news, adding: ‘We hope this is a sign of what’s to come in autumn’s child poverty strategy, with Government taking more action to meet its manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty in the UK.’
Cllr Arooj Shah, chair of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Children and Young People Board, also welcomed the news but added: ‘Councils still face data sharing and resource challenges in ensuring as many eligible children as possible receive what they are entitled to.’
She called for the introduction of automatic enrolment, using existing Government data, to ensure the inclusion of all children who are entitled to free school meals.
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