National Food Strategy author Henry Dimbleby says the case for rolling out free school meals across the country is now “irrefutable”, after a £130m move by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to help struggling families.
Food campaigners welcomed the “huge” announcement of a one-off fund to provide free school meals for all primary children across the city for the next year.
However, charities have called for the Westminster government to follow suit.
The mayor’s office said it is estimated the one-off funding could help more than 270,000 children in the capital during the 2023-24 academic year.
A spokesman added the plans were also expected to save families about £440 per child over the year.
Dimbleby, who was involved in trials of free school meals as early as 2013, told The Today programme this morning the mayor’s intervention was “fantastic”.
“We should look at this as the beginning of how we change our food culture. It should make the case irrefutable to roll this out across the country.”
The Food Foundation welcomed the move, which comes after it launched its Feed the Future, in partnership with seven other organisations, calling on the government to provide free school meals for the 800,000 children across England living in poverty, who are still not eligible.
Universal Free School Meal entitlement at primary level is already being rolled out in Scotland and Wales following commitments from the devolved governments. However, in England, the national eligibility threshold remains set at a household income of below £7,400 (after tax, excluding benefits).
Khan, who received free school meals himself, said: “The cost of living crisis means families and children across our city are in desperate need of additional support.
“I have repeatedly urged the government to provide free school meals to help already stretched families, but they have simply failed to act.”
Anna Taylor, executive director of The Food Foundation, said: “We welcome the timely and decisive leadership shown by Labour’s London Mayor to protect families from the soaring cost of living.
“This initiative at last recognises the crucial importance of free school meals in safeguarding children’s diets, health and learning.
“It is a huge step forward for our Feed the Future campaign calling on policy leaders to extend free school meals to more children, which has received huge cross-party and public support.
“Struggling families across the capital will be breathing a huge sigh of relief thanks to today’s news, knowing that their children will be guaranteed a hot nutritious school meal every day, regardless of their background.
“However, we mustn’t forget the hundreds of thousands of children outside the capital who are living below the poverty line but don’t qualify for the free school meals. Without action from central government, there remains an unjust postcode lottery when it comes to free school meal access.
“Government now has the opportunity to deliver on its levelling up promises by addressing the inequalities inherent in our free school meal system.”
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