London to offer free school meals to all primary pupils for a year

[Eastie77Returns]

Reported in the Guardian and apparently will begin in September.

Two questions spring to mind: a) why is this only happening in London and b) wouldn’t it make more sense to target this and increase the ridiculous limit for free dinners (households with an income above £7k do not qualify) rather than giving every single child, including those from affluent families, free meals?

Er votes?

This isn't government money or benefits, I don't know if the council could easily and cheaply figure out parental income or need to target it? It may be more effective to just give free meals to all children.

Funnily enough, people are always telling us that there's never any money to pay for things like hungry kids who need feeding. This money has come from higher than expected business rates income.

This thread will tell you about the state of the rest of the country:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/guest_posts/4743312-800000-children-in-poverty-are-being-denied-a-free-school-meal-the-government-must-fix-this-injustice-immediately

why is this only happening in London

Because Sadiq Khan has decided to do it after realising that the Tories don't give a shit about kids going hungry and weren't going to sort it themselves.

It’s only happening in London because it isn’t a central government initiative: it’s being funded by City Hall from business rates. And I presume it isn’t being targeted because the admin costs of assessing families for eligibility are often disproportionate; and because of the perceived stigma of applying for free food, along with many of the poorest and most vulnerable families often being unaware they’re eligible to apply in the first place, especially if they’re recent migrants or have low English and/or literacy skills.

Overall it’s a good thing that some needy children will be fed, even if it doesn’t reach everyone.

Seems bizarre to do that instead of increasing the limit for free dinners. Or changing the rules so that people on working tax credit still qualify.

Seems ridiculous that an affluent 10yo at primary school will get something an 11yo from a struggling family a few miles would benefit from and not get.

That would require the government to actually get off its arse and try to help people but they won't, because this won't line their mate's pockets with massive profits like the energy bailout seems to have.

Sadiq Khan has found a workaround to the lack of action by the government.

Email your MP and complain then. They're the ones who need to fix this.

It’s been the case in Islington since my children started primary. It took me ages to realise it didn’t apply to the rest of the country and everyone had to pay in KS2!

Big question... can the school canteens cope with the increased demand? Wasnt that the problem after the infant dinners were introduced?

free school meals for primary was introduced in Wales at the start of the year. In my opinion it’s a mess. Only Reception age kids are actually getting it, and next September it will be increased to year 1.

The school menus have been stripped back as a result and my kids hate most the meals. Spicy vegan hotdogs for 6 year olds, just no.

Free school meals for all KS1 has been going for a few years in England. It was one of the Lib Dem parts of the Coalition government.

Also being rolled out in Wales - currently up to year 2 I think.

The UK government doesn't care about child poverty so aren't making any legislative changes.

Good!

Fantastic initiative.

Help for families, children will get fed, pressure taken of stressed parents trying to make up economical packed lunches before going to work.

(I do not have a primary school child, but see not need to pick holes in a scene to help those that do)

Where are you @LibrariansGiveUsPower ? There has been no change of menu in my country as a result of universal free school meals.

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County that should say, obviously we're both in the same country.

Kitchens can’t cope, it’s ill thought out. Schools will lose out of funding as no one will apply for free school meals, it’s not necessarily a good thing. Giving holiday vouchers and upping the current entitlement would be better.

far better to raise benefits, or give supermarket food vouchers.
Most of the money spent on school meals goes on staffing, and kitchens, not food. It is a very ineffective way of supporting children

Many London Boroughs eg. Southwark have been doing this for years.
Those explaining why it makes sense are spot on.
Those talking about kitchens haven't a clue about school life.

People should stop voting Tory in the home counties.

Sadiq Khan can't raise benefits. Why don't you email your MP and ask them to sort this?

We already get free school meals up to primary 5 in Scotland
Its a great initiative and very much helps us , we have 3 DC so it really helps our household budget.
Its a hot lunch meal and includes meals like mince pie / cheese panini / pasta bake etc.
very very grateful ❤️

whats the point of putting millions into providing extra food for children when 75p out of every pound is spent on staffing rather than food? And of that food that 25p (at most, I suspect it less) is spent on, how much ends up inside a child, and how much in the bin. 50/50 would you say? Thats just useless - school dinners are such a colossal waste of money. very poor nutritionally as well

Please show us the source of your figures.

whats the point of putting millions into providing extra food for children when 75p out of every pound is spent on staffing rather than food?

Any option is going to cost money on staffing. Do you think supermarket vouchers would magically happen out of nowhere?

At the moment kids are going hungry. This is better than that.