Around a third of parents of primary school-aged kids have had to cut the quantity and quality of their food shop since the start of the school year in September, grim polling shows
Almost all parents with primary-aged kids (89%) support extending free school meals for all primary school pupils in England, polling shows today.
Some 57% said extending hot free lunches would have a positive impact on their family finances. The clear support for free school meals comes as the study revealed around a third of the parents (31%) have had to cut the quantity and quality of their food shop since the start of the school year in September.
Some 64% of this group have cut down on red meat, while more than a quarter (27%) have reduced their cheese, eggs or dairy purchases and a similar amount (26%) have limited fresh vegetables.
The Mirror has long campaigned for free school meals for all primary students along with the National Education Union (NEU), which conducted the survey along with YouGov.
In a major victory for our campaign, free hot lunches will be extended to all kids in families on universal credit (UC) – benefitting more than half a million children – from September. But the NEU warns that means-testing will always leave some children and families behind
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Its survey shows 56% of parents not on UC said free school meals for all would have a positive impact on their family finances, while 44% said the same about their mental wellbeing.
Among parents not on UC, 28% are reducing their weekly food shop variety and 27% are reducing weekly food shop quantity. One in six parents not in receipt of UC are also being forced to reduce or stop out-of-school activities (16%).
Wales extended free school meals for all primary school children in 2024, a year after Mayor Sadiq Khan did the same in London.
The Government is in the process of rolling out free breakfast clubs for all primary school children. It has also unveiled plans to introduce new school lunch standards requiring school menus to cut out deep-fried meals and high-sugar food such as ice cream, waffles and sugary drinks.
But union and school leaders have long demanded a free midday meal to support children’s learning, wellbeing and development, as well as ease family finances.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said: “With the cost-of-living crisis showing no sign of ending, more families are struggling to make ends meet, and putting food on the table is one of the biggest challenges of all.
“That is why, if this government is committed to giving ‘every child the education they deserve’, it must build on the progress it has already made in dismantling the two-child limit and expanding FSM to half a million children in families in receipt of Universal Credit from September. Ministers must build on the successes from London and roll-out universal free school meals to ensure no child is left behind.”
Frank Young, chief executive of ParentKind, said: “Parents are always doing their best but we all know that preparing healthy, cold packed lunch every day that your child will eat is a real challenge for many families balancing the cost of school and increasing pressures on family finances.
“As this polling shows, extending Free School Meals to all primary school children would ease the pressures on parents.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We’re absolutely determined to break down barriers to opportunity and are bringing costs down for families through 30 hours funded childcare and free breakfast clubs.
“We are also giving free school meals to every single child from a household that claims Universal Credit – a historic step to lift 100,000 children out of poverty that will put £500 a year back in families’ pockets.
“These measures, alongside others in the Child Poverty Strategy, will lift a record number of children out of poverty by the end of parliament.”
::: YouGov surveyed 2,106 parents with primary school aged children in England for the NEU between March 19 and 31.