Nearly a quarter of a million children are missing out on free school meals worth nearly £500 per child because of the lack of an automated sign-up system, according to the LGA.
This is money that under-pressure families could be spending on other essentials, amid record food prices and spiralling inflation.
A further estimated 800,000 children living in poverty are not entitled to free school meals (FSMs) because their household’s income is just above the eligible £7,400 annual income threshold, which has remained unchanged since its introduction in 2018.
The LGA says the approximate £470 given by government to cover the cost of each child’s FSMs each year could be extended to many more children in need if the application process was simplified and made automatic.
Instead of parents having to formally apply to their local authority or via their child’s academy school, automatic enrolment could benefit the estimated 215,000 eligible school children whose families have not yet taken up the offer.
This, in turn, would generate tens of millions of pounds in vital extra pupil premium funding for schools, which is allocated based on the number of agreed FSM applications per school. This would also help ensure funding gets to where it is needed, to narrow the attainment gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.
The LGA is also calling for government to consider extending eligibility for FSMs, to ensure all children in poverty are entitled to at least one hot meal per day, including a review of the current income threshold.
Cllr Pete Marland, Chairman of the LGA’s Resources Board, said: “Food inflation is at its highest for almost half a century and this is hitting the poorest households hardest.
“The near-£500 annual saving for a family for each child on free school meals can make all the difference, now more so than ever before.
“Encouraging those who are eligible to sign up, and automating the process, will help relieve this financial burden, freeing up family budgets and improving the next generation’s health, education and prospects.”