- A total of 42 per cent of food hub users worry they will have to send their child to school without lunch on some days
- The Food Foundation and Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) who run food clubs for people on low incomes, surveyed over 3,000 food club members, with analysis conducted by the University of Sheffield
- 85 per cent of respondents said they wanted their child to receive free school meals
A total of 42 per cent of low income families without access to free school meals worry they will have to send their child to school without lunch on some days, a new survey has found.
The Food Foundation, an independent charity and The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT), who run 120 food clubs for people on low incomes, surveyed over 3,000 users, with analysis conducted by Dr Megan Blake from the University of Sheffield.
The survey shows that, of the households that didn’t have access to free school meals:
- 16 per cent had to send their child to school without lunch some days because they couldn’t afford school meals or packed lunches. An additional 42 per cent worried this would happen in the future
- 32 per cent said their child ate a smaller lunch at school some days because they cannot afford school meals or packed lunches
- 31 per cent said their child eats a less healthy lunch at school some days because they cannot afford school meals or packed lunches
- 85 per cent wanted their child to receive free school meals
Earlier this month it was announced that universal free school meals for state primary schoolchildren in London will be extended for another year, whilst families across the rest of England are still facing strict eligibility criteria.
Whilst the extension is welcome support for families in London, outside of London only children from households with an income below £7,400 a year (after tax, before benefits) are eligible. This threshold has not increased since 2018, despite the cost of living crisis and high inflation rates.
There are 900,000 children living in poverty in England who do not qualify for free school meals due to the threshold set by the Government.
The Food Foundation is calling on politicians from all parties to extend access to free school meals to all schoolchildren to help end the ‘unfair’ postcode lottery, with the first step being to immediately target children from families receiving Universal Credit.
Dr Megan Blake from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Geography, said: “It is shocking that children are going hungry in a country as wealthy as ours. While children are missing out, many more parents are as well. The data show that 62.5 per cent of parents with children in year three or above who are not registered for free school meals are not eating to ensure their children have food. These parents are above a shockingly low earnings threshold for FSM and are struggling to make ends meet.
“Our research also shows that food club interventions like that offered by The Bread and Butter Thing are making a difference for people, but it is not enough. Providing all children with free school meals would have a massive impact on these children's futures and on the health and well-being of families.”
Shona Goudie policy and advocacy manager at The Food Foundation, said: “Lack of action by national policy makers to extend eligibility criteria for school lunches is unfair and will only serve to exacerbate regional inequalities, with school children outside of London not having access to the same benefits and life chances.
“There are hundreds of thousands of children outside the capital who are living below the poverty line but don’t qualify for a nutritious school lunch. As we enter an election year, policymakers across the board should commit to ensuring no child in England is left to go hungry at lunchtime.”
Matthew Knight, catering manager at Hillstone School in Birmingham, said: "Whilst we welcome the further extension of free school meals to all London primary school children, in Birmingham and the midlands thousands of children will go without a hot nutritious meal at lunch time by virtue of them being in year 3 and not living in London.
“We are hearing stories of hard working families having to choose between paying essential bills or paying for a school meal, we are noticing an increase in packed lunches and, as the cost of living crisis really starts to bite after Christmas, the quality of contents is deteriorating."
The Healthy Lifespan Institute at the University of Sheffield is the UK’s first interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to understanding and preventing multimorbidity and frailty - to help everyone live healthier lives for longer.
