More than half a million more children will be able to receive a free nutritious meal every school day, following the Government’s expansion of free school meals.
From the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil whose household is on Universal Credit will be eligible, which the Government says will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty.
Expanding free school meals to all households on Universal Credit has been a longstanding ask of the LGA and councils.
Cllr Arooj Shah, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Making it easier for more children to have a healthy, nutritious meal will make a real difference to their health, wellbeing and attainment.
“Councils still face data-sharing and resource challenges in ensuring as many eligible children as possible receive what they are entitled to.
“Introducing automatic enrolment, using existing government data to capture all those who are entitled to free school meals, would also streamline the process and ensure as many children as possible can benefit, at a time when many families are still under financial pressure.”