Welcome boost to free school meals for hundreds more local kids

From September every pupil whose household receives Universal Credit, including hundreds whose parents earn the Living Wage will benefit. Currently only children in households with an income of less than £7,400 per year qualify.

6,020 children live in Universal Credit households in Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard constituency.

Research shows children who tuck into a nutritious lunch during the school day behave better and achieve improved grades.

To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, the Government is working with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance.

Alex Mayer MP said: “A healthy and tasty school lunch boosts concentration, improves behaviour and leads to better results. By stabilising the economy, we are able to start investing in the future. I am delighted that more local children will benefit from this government investment.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents’ pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn.”