New Bill Calls On Councils To Identify 160,000 Children Missing Out On Free School Meals
Labour MP Frank Field is calling on Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and other members of the government to back a new Bill which would compel local authorities in England and Wales to use housing benefit data to identify and automatically register any children in their area who are eligible for free school meals. To qualify […]
Labour MP Frank Field is calling on Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and other members of the government to back a new Bill which would compel local authorities in England and Wales to use housing benefit data to identify and automatically register any children in their area who are eligible for free school meals.
To qualify for free school meals, parents or their children must be in receipt of at least one of the following: income support; Jobseekers or Employment and Support Allowance; Pension Guarantee Credit; Child/Working Credit; or Universal Credit. Current estimates suggest that some 160,000 children are currently eligible for free school meals, but as yet not registered to receive them.
The Free School Meals (Automatic Registration of Eligible Children) will, however, also enable parents to opt their children out of the automatic registration process, should they wish.
Schools are awarded pupil premium funding on the basis of how many children are registered to receive free school meals, with primaries presently receiving £1320 per pupil and secondaries £935 per pupil.
Writing in The Guardian yesterday, Mr Field noted that, “It will be a sign that the government wishes to reduce the numbers of hungry children if it makes this bill a government measure…Were the bill to become law, it would free up extra money for schools in the new year to ensure additional food for the poorest children, at breakfast and before they return home.”
So far, the Bill is supported by 125 MPs; it will receive its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday 22nd January.
