The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, currently being debated in parliament, promises to roll out a free breakfast club in state-funded primary schools, but falls short of a commitment to universal, free primary school meals. This is a missed opportunity, not only for child wellbeing, but also for the government’s industrial and net zero strategies.
Currently, free school meals in England are available to all children in the first three years of primary school, but from then only for children from households with an annual income of less than £7,400 after benefits. This threshold means 900,000 children living in poverty are not eligible for a free school meal. One in five households with children are experiencing food insecurity. This is contributing to kids in the UK getting smaller and sicker.
