The Independent is partnering with a coalition of organisations co-ordinated by The Food Foundation to call on the Government to extend free school lunches to all children in poverty in England.
As many as 800,000 children who are living in poverty do not qualify for free school meals, leaving them at risk of going hungry as their families battle the cost-of-living crisis. With households facing severe financial pressures this winter, The Independent is stressing the need for urgent action.
The current policy restricts universal free school meals in England to pupils from Reception to Year 2. Above this group, households on universal credit who earn more than £7,400 a year are not eligible, irrespective of the number of children in the family.
The campaign, Feed the Future, will run in partnership with Food Foundation and organisations including School Food Matters, Chefs in Schools, Bite Back 2030, Sustain, Child Poverty Action Group, Impact on Urban Health, National Education Union and Jamie Oliver Ltd.
Read The Independent’s report here.
Join our Feed The Future campaign and raise your voice for children in poverty now by:
David Cohen, Campaigns Editor at The Independent comments: “As households face rising financial pressures, it is more important than ever that the Government acts, to ensure that hundreds and thousands of disadvantaged children across England avoid the blight of school hunger that is damaging their life chances. The Independent has a long history of challenging, debating and making change happen, and this campaign is very much in that vein.”
