Closed petition All children in receipt of Universal Credit to receive free school meals

Closed on 22 January 2023

Currently, those families whose income is below £7,400 and are in receipt of Universal Credit, are eligible for free school meals. This means that any family receiving Universal Credit and whose other income is above £7,400 are not eligible.

With a cost of living crisis, more families will plummet into poverty with children suffering. Families earning just over £7,400 in receipt of Universal Credit are not eligible for free school meals. This is a pitiful amount of money to live on. At least if these children had a hot free school meal each day, that would be a start to improving outcomes for these children. Research shows that children cannot learn if they are hungry. This would take a small pressure off those struggling to eat.