More than half of the 2.2 million school children living in poverty in England miss out on free school meals. Of these, 700,000 are not even entitled to them due to the criteria that are currently in place to decide eligibility. The rest are believed not to take up the offer because of the stigma attached to it or because parents are unaware of the scheme.
Families in England and Wales with a child at state school are normally entitled to receive free school meals if a parent works under 16 hours a week (24 hours for couples) and if their annual income is less than £16,190. The estimated price for a child’s school lunches for the year is £370.
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