Funding is “not there” to provide high-quality free school meals in Dorset
The CEO of Local Food Links Dorset calls on the government to make free school meals an option for everyone living on universal credit
Dorset’s free school meals provider says “too many children are being let down” by the Government’s free school meals cut-off threshold.
Currently only infants and children living in households with income below £7,400 are guaranteed a free school meal, legislation that has not changed since 2006 despite increasing inflation.
Now, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) are calling on the UK government to expand provision of free school meals across the country to tackle classroom hunger.
Caroline Morgan, CEO of Local Food Links Dorset, told us: “Families are increasingly relying on their children having a good meal at school, so the threshold for families to qualify for free school meals should increase to £14,000 like it has in Northern Ireland.”
Government action on free school meals in England lags far behind other UK nations as seen with the “massive” discrepancy in funding.
In Wales, funding per meal has increased to £3.20, meanwhile in Scotland it is already £3.33, but in England the funding per meal has only just risen to £2.53.
Analysis by the CPAG highlights the stark inadequacy of the current free school meal system for parents and children.
According to recent data, four in five schools in England are cutting back on meat because of rising costs and a shortfall in money to cover free lunches.
Caroline Morgan said: “It's getting harder and harder for the sector to provide high-quality school meals for children because the funding has to cover both food and staffing.
“Children need a varied menu with all sorts of different types of protein and nutrients but unfortunately, the standard of school meals is not being policed and they are meant to be there to ensure that meals are healthy as well as appealing to children.”
It is estimated that the average price of a meal will be underfunded by 21-pence from April and the way some schools or caterers are coping is by increasing the price on parents which Ms Morgans called “absolutely not fair”.
Child Poverty Action Group’s head of education policy Kate Anstey claimed: “Children are sitting in classrooms too hungry to concentrate and learn because they don’t qualify for a free school meal.”
The government says funding is increasing next year to the highest ever level in real terms.