All primary pupils in London will receive free school meals for a year under an emergency scheme being brought in from September.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said the one-off £130 million programme is an effort to help struggling households amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Funded by additional business rates income, the move will help around 270,000 primary school pupils and save families in London around £440 per child across the year, it is estimated.
Currently, all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are eligible for free school meals.
But for older pupils in England, families receiving universal credit must earn below £7,400 a year before benefits and after tax to qualify for free school meals.
According to the Food Foundation, an estimated 800,000 children in England are living in poverty but do not qualify for free school meals.
In addition, not all eligible pupils are signed up to receive free school meals, which parents have to opt into.
Last week the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents local councils, said that automatically enrolling all eligible pupils for free school meals could generate “tens of millions of pounds in extra pupil premium funding for schools”, and warned that, currently, nearly a quarter of a million children are missing out on free school meals worth nearly £500 per child.
Pressure to extend free school meals
Mr Khan said he was “stepping forward” after years of government inaction.
“The cost-of-living crisis means families and children across our city are in desperate need of additional support,” he said.
“I have repeatedly urged the government to provide free school meals to help already stretched families, but they have simply failed to act.
“This is why I’m stepping forward with an emergency £130 million scheme that will ensure every single primary pupil in the capital receives free school meals. This will save families hundreds of pounds over the year, ensuring parents aren’t worrying about how they’re going to feed their children.
“It will also guarantee every primary school student a healthy, nutritious meal - meaning they don’t go hungry in the classroom and can better concentrate on their studies.”
Mr Khan called free school meals a “lifeline”, adding that he had personally benefitted from them as a child.
He said: “My siblings and I depended on them to eat while at school and my parents relied on them to give our family a little extra breathing room financially.
“The difference they can make to children who are at risk of going hungry - and to families who are struggling to make ends meet - is truly game-changing.
“Supporting London’s families through this cost-of-living crisis and helping to ensure our children are properly fed is vital as we continue striving to build a better London for everyone - a city that is fairer, safer and more prosperous for all.”
Anna Taylor, chief executive of the Food Foundation, called on the government to follow Mr Khan’s lead.
She said: “We applaud London’s mayor for taking timely action to support families fighting the cost of living by ensuring every primary school pupil gets a nutritious lunch, no matter their background.
“This is a monumental step forward for safeguarding children’s diets, wellbeing and learning across the capital.
“However, outside of London hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty still don’t qualify for a free school meal. Central government must now honour its levelling up commitment by investing in free school meal expansion for every community in the upcoming budget.
“We know this policy has resounding support in every corner of the UK.”
Mr Khan’s intervention comes after TV chef Jamie Oliver in December called on the government to extend free school meals to every household with parents on universal credit, warning that “chaos ensues” from parents worrying about feeding their children.
In September 2020 Manchester United and England striker Marcus Rashford announced he was leading a task force on the issue of child food poverty and warned of “devastating” effects on the stability of the country if action was not taken quickly.
Mr Rashford was successful in campaigning for free school meal vouchers to be provided to pupils over the summer period.
