Sadiq Khan announces £140M for free school meals next year
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced today that he will continue funding free school meals for state primary school children for the next academic year.
This morning, Mr Khan visited Torridon Primary School in Hazelbank Road, Lewisham, where he revealed plans to spend £140million from his 2024 to 2025 budget on free school meals.
The new funding will extend the mayor’s current £135million programme which delivers meals to more than 60,000 children across Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Greenwich.
The programme is the first ever to make free meals available to all primary-aged pupils in mainstream schools, special schools and pupil referral units in the capital.
Children in Years 3 to 6 in primary school previously only received free school meals if they lived in households on universal credit – earning less than £7,400 a year after tax and not including benefits – regardless of the number of children in the family.
The announcement comes following new polling from YouGov found that found three in 10 parents or carers of children under 18 say they are financially struggling.
The poll also revealed that more than a third are buying less food and essentials, with 41 per cent using less water, energy or fuel to help them manage living costs.
Mr Khan, said: “Delivering free school meals has been one of my proudest moments as Mayor as I have seen the difference it has made to the children receiving them and to their families.
“I know from personal experience what a difference these meals can make and it’s been fantastic to hear how much parents and their children have benefited, with parents not having to worry about how to provide their children with a healthy, nutritious meal during the school day.”
Pictured top: Sadiq Khan with children from Torridon Primary School this morning (Picture: South London Press / Takenya K Holness)
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