The news that government plans to expand free school meals to all households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026 has been met with overwhelming support from teachers, child poverty organisations, health organisations and young people themselves.
For youth activist Dev Sharma, it is personal. Now 20, his campaign journey began aged 13, sharing his own experience of receiving free school meals with policymakers.
Over the past seven years, he’s been at the forefront of a movement advocating on behalf of all young people excluded from a healthy lunch. Together we’ve challenged the logic of an education system that is meant to be free at the point of access, but which insists, unlike our hospitals or even prisons, on means-testing children at lunchtime.
As he said in response to the news: “A healthier, fairer future begins with full stomachs and open minds.”
Anti-poverty measures
The government estimates this move will lift around 100,000 children out of poverty and benefit an additional 500,000 children across England. However, although it has been positioned as an anti-poverty initiative, it’s clear that other measures – such as removing the two-child cap on benefits – could lift even more out of poverty. We’re hoping this is the precursor of a more comprehensive child poverty strategy, with the taskforce expected to report later this year.
For the Children’s Food Campaign, however, school meals are not just about hunger or poverty, they’re about the power of good food to fuel health. Children typically only eat three portions of fruit and veg a day, and just 8% of children achieve the 5 a day recommendation. Just 2% of packed lunches meet school food standards.
Children who eat a healthy hot lunch are better set up to learn well. Children who learn well are better equipped to earn well. In short, scaling up healthy school food now is a very sound investment in our future workforce, the nation’s health and our economy.
School food standards
While the media spotlight focused on the Universal Credit headline, we were equally delighted to hear the government also signal an intention to rapidly review and upgrade to the current school food standards, with the purpose of ensuring school food is aligned to the latest nutrition guidance.
With Defra also committing to leverage the UK’s £5bn public sector food spending in support of local, British and sustainable producers, we would argue that the sourcing of school food should also be in scope.
Back in 2019, the previous government had revised standards to align with Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) guidance on fibre and sugar intakes. The new standards were being ‘beta-tested’ in schools prior to the start of the pandemic, but then halted. The new review can build on this existing work, but must go further.
Could there be a stronger emphasis on increasing plant-based proteins and use of pulses and beans – which are shown to be cost-effective, healthy and sustainable? Can the review consider proportions of whole and minimally processed foods, not just nutrients? Could there be more flexibility on the current requirement to serve meat three days a week? Should schools be encouraged to adopt water and milk/plant-based milk-only policies?
Proper funding
Seizing this huge opportunity to scale up children’s health via school meals systems, as well as potential opportunities for British producers, will require a much sharper attention on the economics of the supply chain.
If funding rates had kept pace with inflation since universal infant free school meals were introduced in 2014, schools would get £3.16 per meal today, not £2.58. The Local Authority Catering Association (LACA) has challenged the latest below-inflation 1.2% rise of just 3p, taking funding to £2.61 for the 2025/26 academic year. Both Wales and Scotland have adjusted their funding levels above England’s rate.
No-one wants expansion of school meals to come at the expense of raiding hugely overstretched school budgets. We hope the government will take time to ensure an effective funding settlement to deliver on healthy standards.
There is huge appetite for change. With the right economics, and the right standards in place and monitored, we believe we could truly unleash the superpowers of school meals in support of healthier generations of children.
Barbara Crowther, Children’s Food Campaign manager at Sustain
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