London mayor Sadiq Khan announced the new £130m scheme today
With all the stories about rising inflation levels, climate catastrophe, and police corruption, it often feels impossible to find even a modicum of good news. Thankfully, though, there are occasional silver linings: today, Sadiq Khan has announced that he is launching a £130m scheme to give every primary school pupil free school meals for the next academic year, in an effort to help families through the cost of living crisis.
It is estimated the scheme could help more than 270,000 children in the capital during the 2023-24 academic year, and save families about £440 per child over the year.
Funding for the project was made possible because council tax and business rates returns from the capital’s local authorities were higher than originally forecast in the mayor’s draft budget proposals.
Khan, who received free school meals himself, 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.”
At present, hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren live in poverty but are not eligible for free school meals because of the government’s “restrictive” eligibility criteria. To be eligible, a household on universal credit must make less than £7,400 a year – after tax and not including benefits.
“The difference [free school meals] 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,” Khan continued. He also added that he hoped the move would “reduce the stigma that can be associated with being singled out as low-income”.
The launch of the scheme follows similar decisions made by other London councils to offer their own free school meals for children in primary school. Last month, Westminster City Council also began providing free school meals for primary pupils in a scheme set to run for at least 18 months.
Charities, campaigners and teaching unions have welcomed the plans, but have also urged the government to go further in their support for children living in food poverty. “We applaud the mayor for announcing this vital nutritional safety net for every single primary school child in London for the coming academic year,” said Barbara Crowther from the Children’s Food Campaign. “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.”