70,000 children in poverty in Yorks & Humber can’t get free school meals

• New report reveals breakdown by local authority – ranging from 1,000 children in York to 14,000 in Bradford
• Charities call for overhaul of eligibility rules

Every Yorkshire and Humber local authority has at least 1,000 school-age children in poverty who are not eligible for free school meals because the qualifying criteria is so restrictive, with the number much higher in some areas, a new report reveals (see local authority breakdown below). 

Overall in Yorkshire and the Humber region 70,000 children in poverty are ineligible for free school meals. In the Mayoral combined authorities the numbers are 60,000 children in West Yorkshire, 16,000 in South Yorkshire and 5,000 in York and North Yorkshire. 

The report from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and The Food Foundation urges local leaders to do everything they can to ensure more children get a free lunch but say the onus is squarely on the UK government to expand provision of free school meals and end classroom hunger. 

Infants are guaranteed a free school meal in England but children in Year 3 and above in households on universal credit must have a household income below £7,400 per year (before benefits and after tax) to qualify. This threshold has not changed since 2018, despite inflation. More than one in four children in Yorkshire and the Humber are below the poverty line and living costs continue to be a challenge for families.

The charities’ report - launched today at an event* in York attended by Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith and Luke Charters, MP for York Outer - highlights the woeful inadequacy of the current free school meals system for families, with the number of Yorks and Humber school-age children who are living in poverty but ineligible for free lunches ranging from 1,000 in York to 14,000 in Bradford. 

Child Poverty Action Group’s head of education policy Kate Anstey said:

'In every corner of Yorkshire and the Humber there are children going without the food they need because the qualifying criteria for free school meals is woefully inadequate and outdated. Children’s well-being is being compromised by a cruel means-test in the middle of the school day.

'With so many families counting every penny, local leaders must do what they can to expand access to free school meals but ultimately this is on the UK government. Ministers must reform the system and work towards eliminating means-testing in the dining hall so that every child has an equal chance to learn and thrive and struggling families get some desperately needed breathing space.”

Shona Goudie, Policy and Advocacy Manager, at The Food Foundation, said: 

'It is deeply unfair that so many children in Yorkshire and the Humber are being left behind, missing out on Free School Meals despite living in poverty. While Scotland, Wales and London are all making Free School Meals available to more children in primary schools, the rest of the country is trapped in a postcode lottery where children are left to go without a nutritious, filling lunch at school.

'We call on the three metro mayors in Yorkshire to take responsibility for advocating for these children by calling on national government to fairly expand free school meals to more children across the country. In the interim, they have a duty to explore how they can use their powers and resources to introduce provision of a hot, nutritious lunch for children in their regions to reduce stark health inequalities, as well as ensure children can concentrate in class and reach their full potential.'

Government action on free school meals in England lags far behind other UK nations.1 In Wales universal provision is now fully rolled out to primary schools and in Scotland universal free school meals are offered to all children in the first five years of primary school (P1 to P5). However, the Scottish government has halted plans to expand provision to every child in P6 and P7 and hasn’t put a date on the expansion to P6 and P7 children receiving the Scottish Child Payment. In Northern Ireland the eligibility threshold is double the England threshold (eligibility is set at £15,000 in Northern Ireland) and a wider review of free school meals eligibility is currently taking place. 

In the absence of action by the UK Government to expand eligibility, local authorities and local leaders in England are now taking matters into their own hands. Funding provided by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, means all state primary school children in London will receive free school meals until the end of the 2024/25 academic school year. The Mayor of London has also committed to extending the policy beyond this point. Other local areas are also working to extend access, with pilots being set up from York to Stockport. While this will hugely benefit children in these areas, it also establishes a postcode lottery that exacerbates regional inequalities, with schoolchildren in other areas not having access to the same benefits and life chances.

CPAG and the Food Foundation’s new report encourages local leaders to do what they can to expand access to free school meals but also to join national calls for an extension of entitlement. 

Notes to editors: 

*Journalists can attend today’s launch event in York. Please register interest via CPAG press office on 07816 909302 or Food Foundation press office on 0203 576 1045. Spokespeople from both charities are available for interview before and after the event. 

Today’s report on free school meals in Yorkshire and the Humber is here 

The breakdown of school-children in poverty not eligible for FSM across UK nations and regions in England is here. This was published in September 2024.

Transitional protection:

Since 1 April 2018, transitional protections have been in place which will continue during the roll-out of universal credit. This has meant that pupils eligible for free school meals on or after 1 April 2018 retain their free school meals eligibility even if their circumstances change. If a child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2025.

Methodology

The poverty measure used is relative after housing costs (AHC). The estimated number of children in poverty who missed out on free school meals was calculated using Households Below Average Income 2022/23. From that survey data, entitlement can be calculated based on the earnings of the household and the various eligibility criteria for different means-tested benefits, accounting for the migration of households on to universal credit.  

There will be some households who currently earn above the eligibility criteria but because of transitional protection on universal credit, they are still eligible for free school meals. The number of these households was calculated using data on the share of free school meal-eligible pupils in Wales who are covered by transitional protection (similar data does not exist publicly in England). Understanding Society was then used to estimate the number of these households who are above and below the poverty line.  

The regional breakdown was calculated by averaging the share of children who missed out on free school meals in 2022/23 and 2021/22 and applying this share to the 2022/23 total figure (as the sample is too small to use a single year) 

Administrative education data and local poverty estimates can then be used to estimate the breakdown of children by LA.

Sources:

Local administrative education data comes from Department for Education, schools, pupils and their characteristics 2023/24, 2024 - https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics

Local child poverty data comes from End Child Poverty -https://endchildpoverty.org.uk/child-poverty-2024/

CPAG media contact Jane Ahrends 07816 909302 

Child Poverty Action Group works on behalf of the more than one in four children in the UK growing up in poverty. We use our understanding of what causes poverty and the impact it has on children’s lives to campaign for policies that will prevent and solve poverty – for good. We provide training, advice and information to make sure hard-up families get the financial support they need. We also carry out high profile legal work to establish and protect families’ rights. Registered Charity Number: 294841 Twitter: @CPAGUK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cpag_uk/

ABOUT THE FOOD FOUNDATION 

The Food Foundation is an independent charity working to influence food policy and business practice, shaping a sustainable food system which makes healthy diets affordable and accessible for all. We work in partnership with researchers, campaigners, community bodies, industry, investors, government and citizens to galvanise the UK’s diverse agents of change, using surprising and inventive ideas to drive fundamental shifts in our food system. These efforts are based on the continual re-evaluation of opportunities for action, building and synthesising strong evidence, convening powerful coalitions, harnessing citizens’ voices and delivering impactful communications. We are independent of all political parties and businesses, and we are not limited by a single issue or special interest Visit: www.foodfoundation.org.uk