London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced an emergency scheme to extend free school meals to primary school pupils in the capital for one year.
The one-off £130m programme—funded by additional business rates income, which will start in September—is estimated to save families about £440 for every child and benefiting 270,000 children. The move will help the hundreds of school children living in poverty that are unable to qualify for free school meals due to the eligibility criteria that has been described as “restrictive” by the Mayor’s office.
In order to qualify, households receiving Universal Credit must earn below £7,400 a year before benefits and after-tax to qualify for free food support. According to the Food Foundation, an estimated 800,000 children in the UK are living in poverty but are not entitled to free school meals. The Mayor of London said he was “stepping forward” after years of government inaction.
The 52-year-old, who received free school meals in his youth, said: “The cost of living crisis means families and children across our city are in desperate need of additional support. I have repeatedly urged the government to provide free school meals to help already stretched families, but they have simply failed to act. The difference they can make to children who are at risk of going hungry—and to families who are struggling to make ends meet—is truly game-changing.”
Barbara Crowther, who works for Children’s Food Campaign, said: “We applaud the Mayor for announcing this vital nutritional safety net for every single primary school child in London for the coming academic year. However, healthy school food for all must not just be an emergency measure. It should be a core part of a fully inclusive education system for the long term.”
An official statement will be made on February 23 about the scheme, which will be part of Khan’s final budget before the next London mayoral election in May 2024.
