Legal Update: In a Nutshell - New proposals for free school meals
Coram Children's Legal Centre
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
The government has announced that free school meals will be introduced for all children aged five, six and seven from 2014.
What are free school meals?
Free school meals are provided free of charge to children whose parents receive certain benefits. They are worth on average about £10 per week per child, or £370 per year. School meals should adhere to the government's nutritional standards for school food. It is widely considered that eating a school meal can help children stay healthy and improve concentration and learning.
Which children are currently eligible?
Free school meals are available to children whose parents receive: Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (section 95 support), the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit provided that you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and your annual income as assessed by HM Revenue and Customs is £16,190 or less, or Working Tax Credit "run-on" (the payment you receive for a further four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit). There will be new eligibility criteria to take account of the introduction of Universal Credit.
Certain local authorities provide free school meals beyond these eligibility criteria. The London Boroughs of Islington, Southwark and Newham provide universal free school meals to primary school pupils and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets provides free school meals for all those in reception and year 1. Individual schools have discretion to provide free school meals to individual pupils.
Are free school meals available to all children in poverty?
Not all children living in poverty are getting free school meals. The Children's Society has estimated that 1.2 million school children in England who live in poverty do not get free school meals. They are calling for changes in the entitlement criteria and for schools to make sure children are not singled out to ensure children who are eligible register.
What is the relationship to the Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. It is supplementary to main school funding. Schools receive the premium, currently £900 per child, for each pupil on the roll who has been registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years (known as Ever 6 FSM), as well as for each child who has been looked after continuously by a local authority for more than six months. Pupil Premium figures are based on the number of pupils with free school meals that are on each school's roll on the January school census day. Overall government funding for the Pupil Premium is £1.875bn in 2013-14.
What are the latest proposals?
Last month, the government announced that free school meals will be introduced for all children in reception, year 1 and year 2 (for children aged five, six and seven) from September 2014. This policy has been welcomed by many organisations and professionals. A number of organisations and charities are campaigning to extend free school meals beyond this to make them available to all children in primary school.