Opinion: Luton South and South Bedfordshire MP backs move to give free school meals to over half a million more children through Labour’s Plan for Change
Rachel Hopkins, MP for Luton South and South Bedfordshire, has today come out in support of the Labour government’s plans to deliver a free nutritious meal every school day for over half a million more children, as Labour puts £500 back into parents’ pockets every year by expanding eligibility for free school meals.
From the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil in Luton South and South Bedfordshire whose household is on Universal Credit will have a new entitlement to free school meals. This will make life easier and more affordable for parents who struggle the most, delivering on Labour’s Plan for Change to break down barriers to opportunity and give children the best start in life.
The unprecedented expansion will lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty. Giving children the access to a nutritious meal during the school day also leads to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes – meaning they get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.
Since 2018, children have only been eligible for free school meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year, meaning hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty has been unable to access free school meals.
Labour’s historic new expansion to those on Universal Credit will change this and comes ahead of the Child Poverty Taskforce publishing its ten-year-strategy to drive sustainable change later this year. This new entitlement will apply to children in all settings where free school meals are currently delivered, including schools, school-based nurseries and Further Education settings. We expect the majority of schools will allow parents to apply before the start of the school year 2026, by providing their National Insurance Number to check their eligibility.
This follows the rollout of targeted support for families being hit the hardest with the cost-of living crisis, with urgent action including raising the national minimum wage, uprating benefits and supporting 700,000 families through the Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.
This is just the latest step in Labour’s Plan for Change to break the unfair link between background and opportunity, including rolling out free breakfast clubs, expanding government funded childcare to 30 hours a week for working parents and commitment to cap the number of branded school uniform items.
From April 2026, millions of households will receive a permanent above-inflation increase to Universal Credit, addressing destitution caused by decades of low benefits.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “It is the moral mission of this government to tackle the stain of child poverty, and today this government takes a giant step towards ending it with targeted support that puts money back in parents’ pockets.
“From free school meals to free breakfast clubs, breaking the cycle of child poverty is at the heart of our Plan for Change to cut the unfair link between background and success.
“We believe that background shouldn’t mean destiny. Today’s historic step will help us to deliver excellence everywhere, for every child and give more young people the chance to get on in life.”
Rachel Hopkins, MP for Luton South and South Bedfordshire, said: “I know from conversations at doorsteps and on school visits how much child poverty impacts families in Luton South and South Bedfordshire.
“I fully support our Labour government’s decisive action to expand entitlement for free school meals, lifting children in our area out of poverty and putting money back in parents’ pockets.
“Children in Luton South and South Bedfordshire deserve the best start in life, and I’m proud that Labour is delivering this through our Plan for Change.”