Universal free school meals funding rises by just 7p a pupil

Schools will receive the uplifted universal infant free school meals funding, backdated to 1 April 2022. This will raise the rate per meal to £2.41, up from £2.34. Full allocations will be published later this month.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said, ‘We are increasing our funding for universal infant free school meals because we know that more can be done in the face of rising costs.' 

Ministers have been under increasing pressure to increase free school meal provision to help families with the cost of living crisis and faced widespread criticism when their expansion was omitted from the Government's new food strategy white paper, which was published on Monday.

The Government said the increase of around £18m aims to help schools provide school meals for all Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children in England.

However, LACA, the body representing school food caterers, said the funding was inadequate and food standards were at risk.

Chair Jacquie Blake said, 'Whilst all increases to funding for UIFSM are welcome, caterers are experiencing average food price increases of 20 per cent which is likely to get worse in the coming months. Today’s increase of 2.9 per cent is therefore inadequate.

'Many of our members are at breaking point, the industry needs meaningful investment. LACA have long called for an increase to a minimum of £2.47, in-line with FSM funding and for this to rise annually with inflation.

'Our members have made it clear that without this increase they will find it hard to meet the school food standards in September. For many children this is their only hot meal of the day, which is why it is more urgent than ever that caterers receive sufficient funding.'

Zoe McIntyre, project manager at the Food Foundation, said, 'This small increase in funding may alleviate some of the pressures of rising prices, staff shortages and supply chain problems suffered by school caterers, but it only applies to universal free school meals and is not in line with inflation.'

Meanwhile, Government representatives also met with supermarkets including Morrison’s, the Co-op and Waitrose and John Lewis, and sporting organisations including the Football Association, the Lawn Tennis Association and Sport England to discuss the Holiday Activities and Food programme.

The Government’s newly appointed Cost of Living Business Tsar David Buttress, who will work with the private sector to tackle the cost of living, also attended. 

Organisations already providing community support include:

• The John Lewis Partnership (including Waitrose and John Lewis) has pledged£1 million to support local good causes helping children and families over the summer. The shops are linking into the HAF Programme across the UK providing funding for food, places at activity camps and trips plus equipment for fun activities. 
• Morrisons have been supporting families including food donations to holiday clubs in Northumberland, and food parcels for families in areas including Bexley, Birmingham, Somerset and Hertfordshire.
• The Co-op is supporting holiday clubsthrough providing recipe boxes in Walsall, ingredients and recipe boxes in Dudley, 2,800 meals via food boxes to vulnerable families in Shropshire and more.

Organisers behind UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 have also gifted tickets to families to make the tournament more inclusive and accessible.

Zahawi added, ‘Today I chaired a hugely productive roundtable with representatives from supermarkets and sport organisations, because Government cannot act alone in how we support the most vulnerable. 

‘I’ve seen some incredible support from organisations across the country for our Holiday Activities and Food programme, and I wanted to celebrate the action they are already taking in local communities to support disadvantaged children and their families. Together I have no doubt that we can do more.’

On Monday, Henry Dimbleby, the Government's lead adviser on food condemned the Government's new food plan, saying it was not a strategy. 'It doesn’t set out a clear vision as to why we have the problems we have now and it doesn’t set out what needs to be done,' he said.