'I am delighted that children from more struggling families will get free school dinners' - West Midlands MP
MP Valerie Vaz says she is delighted that children in families on universal credit will be entitled to free school dinners from next year.
The Labour MP for Walsall & Bloxwich welcomed the move by the Department for Education (DFE) to give hundreds of thousands more children access to means-tested free school meals when the provision is extended from September 2026.
The move comes after campaigners and education leaders called for an extension to ease pressures on young people living in poverty.
Miss Vaz said: “I am delighted that children and families in Walsall and Bloxwich will be supported by the Government’s plans to expand eligibility for Free School Meals to all households on universal credit from the start of the 2026 school year. This will make life easier and more affordable for parents who struggle the most, as the latest step in Labour’s Plan for Change to break down barriers to opportunity.
"The figures from the 2024/25 school census show that in January 2025, 9,254 pupils were entitled to benefit-based free school meals, which is 41.8 per cent of pupils in Walsall and Bloxwich and compared with 25.7 per cent in England. With this expansion of pupils eligible for free school meals, the DFE estimates there were 14,580 school aged children in universal credit claiming households as of November 2024 in Walsall and Bloxwich who could be eligible for free school meals under this policy if their parents apply.
"Providing nutritious meals is also a priority and the Government is working with experts and the Food Standards Agency to help children develop healthy eating habits, revising the School Food Standards to ensure that every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance to provide quality meals. I visited Goldsmith Primary who were in the first wave of 750 schools selected to offer a free breakfast club for parents and children who need them and I saw firsthand how important a good breakfast is for children.
"I was pleased to drop off some books for the breakfast club from The Reading Agency who provided me with a box of books to encourage children to read for pleasure. All our children in Walsall and Bloxwich who need it, will be provided with breakfast clubs, free school meals and healthier meals ensuring a good start to the day.”
The DFE has said more than 500,000 more children are expected to benefit from a free meal every school day as a result of the expansion and nearly £500 will be put back into parents’ pockets every year.
It suggested that the expansion will lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty.
