Resort MP urges government to consider free school meals for all children

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb has urged the Government to go further in its new free school meals initiative – by expanding the offer to ALL children.

This week, the Government announced that parents on Universal Credit will now be eligible for free school meals, from September 2026.

Because people on various incomes can claim this benefit, it expands the number who will be able to claim free school meals, as only those who earn less than £7,400 a year can currently qualify.

Labour says the change will make 500,000 more pupils eligible, pledging to lift ‘thousands out of poverty’ and the Department for Education has set aside £1bn to fund the move, up until 2029.

The change has been welcomed by Mr Webb, but he says he wants to see the Government go further still, by emulating other countries which offer free school meals to all children, regardless of their family’s income or circumstances.

Such countries include Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and India.

The resort MP said: “I applaud the government’s decision to extend free school meals to over half a million additional children, which will include thousands in Blackpool. This initiative is a vital step in supporting families in need, and it will undoubtedly benefit many children across the country.

“However, we must accelerate our efforts to ensure that every child has access to nutritious meals, irrespective of their background. Given Blackpool’s high levels of poverty and deprivation, we require decisive action to tackle the underlying causes of inequality and poverty.

“I strongly urge the government and the child poverty taskforce to consider expanding free school meals to all children, as many successful countries have done. This approach not only promotes better health and educational outcomes for children but also helps eliminate the stigma associated with receiving free meals.

“It is imperative that we unite in our efforts to guarantee that every child in Blackpool and throughout the nation has the best possible start in life, with access to healthy food, quality education, and opportunities for success.”

Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said: “My government is taking action to ease those pressures. 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.”

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 have been unable to access free school meals.

The government’s 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.