Greenwich council calls on Government to expand Free School Meals to those on Universal Credit

Greenwich council is calling on the Government to expand the Free School Meals scheme in order to meet rising demand across the borough.

A child stops being eligible for free school meals when their household earns more than £7,400 in Universal Credit.

The council said it will lobby the Government for an expansion of the scheme to include all young people from a household where a parent or guardian is in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent benefits, in line with National Food Strategy recommendations.

There are currently about 11,000 children eligible for free school meals in Greenwich.

Greenwich councillor Matt Morrow said: “Free school meals have become a lifeline and we should be making access easier for struggling households, not creating barriers.

“Research has shown that children who are hungry at school struggle to concentrate, perform poorly and have worse attendance records.

“Too many families are being caught between a rock and hard place by not earning enough to provide food comfortably but earning too much to access support.”

Pictured top: Woolwich Town Hall (Picture: Ethan Doyle White/Wikimedia Commons)