The change our schools, pupils and working families really need is Free School Meals for All. Means-testing will always leave children and families behind. With Free School Meals for All, we could end the scandal of child hunger in schools, and remove the stigma and shame that divides pupils in the dinner hall and leaves its mark on young people for decades to come. We’ve seen the impact in London, where Free School Meals have been universal in primary schools for two years and 90% of children choose hot, school dinners over cold packed lunches. Parents tell us the difference it makes for their finances, freeing up money for other activities for their children. Teachers can focus on teaching knowing every child is fed. Lunchtime is more fun and enriching, as schools renew their focus on making this period a better experience for all.  8 in 10 parents support this policy. Of all the measures to reduce the cost of living, this would make a tangible difference to a generation of children, while easing the pressure for parents. That is a legacy any government could be proud of.

I’m a foster carer; every penny we receive is spent on giving our children amazing experiences. We attend meetings after meetings, we complete daily admin, training and various sessions with other professionals. It’s hectic! We’ve always received FSM for our looked after children and it’s been a huge weight lifted financially & mentally. Now it’s either a rushed packed lunch in a morning or being chased by school to top accounts up. The selection of food at high school for our children is also quite poor. They need at least £5 a day to get something substantial and that adds up very quickly!

We have many children at our school in Birmingham that don't have breakfast (we provide toast) and the school dinner is their only hot meal of the day. Opening it up to all children would end food poverty and help so many more families. Every child deserves to have a hot meal every day in our country. School staff are paying out of their own salaries food to feed children… we aren’t paid enough to do this , but we can’t let children starve.

Children need one good meal a day and many are not getting that as parents are trying to juggle so much: work, home and, most of all, finances.

Every child needs to have free school meals and every mother needs a basic income to support her children.

Because me and my partner both work, I work days and he works nights so we can support our family. The cost of living is so high for us at the minute and we aren’t entitled to benefits. We still have our mortgage and bills to pay on top of food. I think that all children should receive school meals so that it is fair to all and just not benefit claimants. Us working parents are struggling too.

I will helps improve my family wellbeing and reduce stress from my coping expenses.

Food should be a nurturing, social and learning experience that many children are losing. One reason: Poverty. Pupils cannot succeed without this basic human need.

I still see students coming to school who are not properly fed. Children who have parents who are too proud to claim universal credit. Children whose parents don't understand how to claim.

It is good that children get a free meal , for some children it might be the only decent meal they get all day.

All children from council primary age 4 and secondery up to age 18 should receive free meals. It is very unfair for kids not to get meals because their parent or guardian works. Those who work a lot of the time cant afford to eat. So this would be a big help, a big weight off all parents, guardians to know that at least their kids will have 1 meal a day.

Children in primary and secondary school should have free school meals. I have worked in secondary schools for 30 years and have seen growing children going through puberty with nothing to eat. Their lunch was watching me eat mine during lunch time clubs. My children during secondary school years had friends who did not eat for 3 days. I had students who did not eat for days, so we had to provide free bread and salad for them at lunch time.

I am Chairman of the Governors of Havannah Primary School. I am totally in favour of free school meals for all primary school children, it means that all the pupils will have a meal at lunch and that means they al will be able to learn in the afternoons. At present this helps so much with the behaviour of the younger pupils so it should be extended for all the pupils.

I work full time and so does my partner and unable to claim UC, with the rising costs of living including bills and food in general each month is a struggle. Having to find £15.55 per week per child for school lunches is hard. We have also tried packed lunches but its harder to buy in small quantities to offer a varied lunch. I think every child should be given the opportunity to have a hot meal, this will also aid learning and their development within school.

The added support and sense of relief knowing my child has a good hot meal in their belly while at school without the financial strain would be extremely beneficial. We're only just getting by as it it is!

So many children are living below the poverty line! Children are literally starving for a hot meal which in turn will help them to focus at school. All children have the right to be fed every day whilst parents are struggling to afford household bills, including food.

I was the convener for the holiday hunger project in Norwich which became a very large union funded programme before COVID. I saw the desperate need. When the media challenged us about families abusing our open door no questions asked policy I said the opposite was true. The real problem was families in need too proud to come forward and seek help.

Coming from a well known and deprived area the Meadow Well in the North East of England, free school meals were not only a God send for my family but for other families also. There was times in my childhood that I knew my mum went without food so she could feed us instead. If these meals were not available myself my brother and sister we would have been hungry as the food available in our home wouldn't have been enough even if my mum didn't eat that day or the next. Therefore, the numbers of children going hungry everyday is larger more widespread and more hidden than we realise. We as a society can do better.

This would mean young people as little as seven years old don't see themselves as a financial burden because of their basic need to eat at school and that our future can be fulfilled with food.

As a mum whose children are benefiting from free school meals, it is such a joy knowing they are enjoying a nutritious meal every day, something that’s key to healthy growth and better concentration in school. Extending Free School Meals to every child in primary school would mean no child is left behind simply because of their family’s financial situation. It removes stigma, ensures every child has the same chance to learn well, and gives parents peace of mind during a time when the cost of living is affecting so many. Universal access would make school a more equal, supportive place for all children, not just some.

Without free school meals I wouldn’t be able to fill a lunch box everyday-it all adds up to what I cannot afford at the moment and I certainly wouldn’t be able to pay for them. They are a necessity for every child and not just primary age, college children too.

For me and my brother they were a lifesaver, my mother was a a very low income and if it were not for school meals we would have gone hungry. Being fed meant we could concentrate and found it easier to learn, thereby able to do my nurse training and have had a rewarding and productive career, now retired after 50 years of working in the NHS. Have a healthy meal at school meant l could concentrate and learn, paving the way to a successful career.

We are working so hard and then still we have to pay around £60 a month for hot decent food as our son struggles to eat packed lunch due to sensory issues with packaging. Don’t punish those who work hard.

I am a great grandma, have been a school governor, I know the importance of food on a child's education. Some children have a little or no breakfast, they need a nutritious dinner to keep them going for the rest of the day both in learning and energy.

As a child growing up in poverty, dinner was often just a sandwich—so my Free School Meal was the only hot, healthy food I received each day, making it one of my fondest memories of school. Today as a parent on benefits, knowing my son is fed a hot meal at school gives me complete peace of mind. During term time, children spend most of their day at school. To my son, school is a place to learn; to me, it's where he is both learning and fed. Please support Free School Meals for All.

Every child deserves access to at least one hot, healthy, non processed meal per day. For many children, school is the only place that they get this. In today's society, and with the cost living crisis, all families are feeling the impact, not just those who are eligible for FSM. If we want equality for our children, and we want all children to have the best possible start to their education, then no child should be left behind.

The cost of living is rising, food and bills are ever increasing. To prevent child poverty and food poverty please make free school meals for all. My husband was a school chef and those children in poverty stricken homes ate every single bit of lunch, always asked for seconds, which were not always available. These children would eat up to 3 slices of toast at breakfast club and were evident by their uniform condition, hygiene and hair condition and their evident hunger in school. The only meal they would have per day.

Children deserve a good breakfast and a decent dinner at school. Not terrible junk or jelly that runs of the plates but real cooked food. No child should go hungry.

All children need a hot meal at lunchtime

Catholic Social Teaching speaks clearly of human dignity and the common good, reminding us of our responsibility to take care of those who are most in need. This is why we support Free School Meals for All. A universal approach recognises that children shouldn't have to prove hardship before they can eat. Free School Meals for All would remove stigma, support families facing fluctuating financial pressures, and give all children a better chance of engaging with the school day. Research we have carried out found that too many children are going to school hungry, and this makes learning harder, impacts confidence and narrows opportunities. If we are to build a society in which every child can flourish, we must extend free school meals so that no child goes without.

Louise Bassett, Chief Executive Officer at Gentoo said: "**We're proud to be supporting this campaign as we believe no child should go hungry at school because of their family's circumstances. Extending Free School Meals to every primary school child would be a simple but transformative step that ensures all children have access to a nutritious meal, helping them learn, thrive and reach their full potential.** **At Gentoo, tackling child poverty is one of our key priorities because strong communities start with giving children the best possible start in life. Through our work across Sunderland, we see the positive impact that accessible support and opportunities can have on children and families. Extending Free School Meals would be a practical way to support children's health, learning and wellbeing, helping communities to flourish for generations to come.** **By extending Free School Meals to all primary school children, the Government can make a lasting investment in children's health, wellbeing and future prospects while helping families who are working hard but continue to face financial challenges."**

Our kids are born into a toxic food environment, and dentists see the results every single day. Tooth decay is the number one reason for hospital admissions among young children, and it’s almost entirely preventable. It’s a condition that comes at a cost, in pain, sleepless nights, and a multimillion-pound bill to our NHS. Free school meals is a simple step that would put prevention to work in every school in this country.

Every child deserves a free school meal. Especially since we are all struggling with the cost of living. That also includes children with SEN who unfortunately in my son case is unable to access his education in school due to lack of support in place for him to attend whilst recovering from surgery.

It removes the stigma from free school meals and ensures all children get at least one proper meal a day.

This is one clear way to ensure a better future for the country. Healthy minds and bodies.

No child should go hungry no parent ashamed. Working parents find it hard to pay for food uniforms, bills, extras at school, snacks, photos, trips, most parents/carers are struggling but embarrassed to borrow money to let kids be fed should not have to fight for help to eat.

I work in a secondary school in Liverpool. Every month, in our safeguarding updates, we hear stories of children suffering from neglect. We are told to keep an eye on certain students when we are on duty to check they are eating. We have more and more refugee children whose families get no welfare support. It is beyond belief that not all primary school students get free school meals-it should be true for ALL students in full-time education.

One of my earliest jobs after leaving school in the sixties was as a junior clerk in the School Meals section of a Local Education Authority. At that time meals were directly provided by the LEA. There were enforceable nutritional standards and a fixed (low) price, which was meant to meet the cost of the raw materials with the LEA funding the cost of labour, premises, fuel, etc. Later on, I was a welfare rights worker, and really saw the inefficiencies of means testing at first hand. We had a saying: “Benefits for the poor are always poor benefits”. The most efficient benefit in the UK system was – and no doubt still is – Child Benefit, because it achieves almost 100% take up. The two experiences together convince me that universal free school meals are the only possible route to improving the health, educational prospects and social welfare of all our children. And that view is reinforced by the experience of my Finnish grandchildren. There, children get a free meal regardless of income; they eat together as an integral part of the school day. And during school holidays staff bring sandwiches and soup to parks and playgrounds for the children who are there. Why do our rulers not aspire even to match the provision we had in the sixties, and the provision that other advanced economies make for their children? Is the nation less wealthy now than it was then? Or just less caring?

Free school meals for all primary school children is a must. Healthy, nutritious meals allow children to concentrate, learn and reach their full potential at school.

My grandson went to primary school in a very deprived area in Washington, Tyne and Wear. After he aged out of the national free-school meals provision he still got them. This was because he was a former Looked After Child, and we were on income related benefits. But by Year 3 some of his classmates were having to pay. These were families where only one adult worked, or whoever worked was on minimal hours or low wages. They struggled to pay for the lunches - maybe they had more than 1 school-aged child. The thing that shocked me the most was that the Headteacher told me that the school had many families who had considerable school dinner debts and they resisted chasing these families. When this didn't work they used the schools Emergency Fund to help them. And sometimes teachers brought in packed lunches for those children whose families couldn't even afford these. They were dished out by the dinner ladies, so no-one knew! We know that children and young people learn better if they've had sufficient to eat - hence the breakfast clubs running in many schools. In such a wealthy country, it's totally disgusting that families are living in this type of poverty. Research shows that free school meals are an excellent way to help! A retired teacher, with a grandson now in secondary school.

A child cannot learn if their body is not nourished and their brain is not properly fuelled, and with the rising cost of living, most children only get hot meals when they are in school. Having those meals paid for by the government is the best solution.

Would mean a lot, what with everything going up, knowing my child gets a free dinner or lunch.

Because every child deserves free school meals, especially when many families are struggling financially even with groceries. No child deserves to go without food.

The cost of living crisis means too many families are struggling to put healthy, nutritious meals on the table. Extending free school meals to all primary aged pupils will help families.

All children should be entitled to free schools meals. All children deserve to be fed and looked after in school as we don’t know everyone’s home lives. Whilst they are in our care they should all be treated the same.

There are too many families who cannot afford nutritious, healthy food for their children. There should be an equality in all children having hot dinner and not a divide in just FSM children. It causes a social divide that we could easily fix and it's an easy way to ensure we keep children's health a priority.

Children should be given the best start in life and food should be a necessity not a luxury.

The threshold to receive FSM is startlingly low. It leaves so many families without support and those who suffer most from the oversight are children who are hungry. We must do better.

Children need a consistent learning diet and food diet. Cheaper food is highly processed. In my experience, disadvantaged children are more unhealthy: eating lots of fast food, ready meals and snacks. They are not able to learn when not given the correct fuel for the day. Free school meals for all and fewer packaged lunches would improve health and learning.

As a teacher and parent I see first hand how hard people work to support their family.

Our students deserve every opportunity given to them and they can't take full advantage of these when they're hungry.

It's not just free school meals eligible pupils, other people live up to the limit of their means to pay their mortgage or rent month to month and this would make sure no child goes hungry.

I am a childrens home manager and qualified social worker looking after looked after children by the local authority. I have seen the impact of not having a healthy meal. This should not fall down to class, wage of a parent. Parenting lack of capacity does not discriminate nor does alcohol and substance misuse and I have looked after children from both working class and high income who have neglected children and resulted in children being, abused by deprivation of right to food and water. Some children school dinner is their only hot meal. If all children receive this they feel so not different from one another.

Because the food is too expense and many parents can not afford. We don’t want our children saber from famine while in schools .

My Grandaughter lost her daddy 2 years ago, my daughter does not qualify for support and is struggling as she has the mortgage and all bills to pay from her wage. My daughter has had to change her job & work extended hours to keep their home. Not having to pay £52 a month for school dinner would give her an extra £624 a year would ease some of the pressure! At current prices if school lunches were provided they would be £1872 better off over the 3 years left in primary school!

Every child deserves to be fed! Whether you're on any sort of benefits or not, with the cost of living going up people are struggling to afford basic needs such as food! If you want children to do well on school, then let’s give them the opportunity of nice warm food, especially now the weather is changing.

Children should be having a healthy hot meal at school and parents should not be expected to pay for this!

As an ex teacher and SENCO, and a grandparent of 6, I have experienced the impact of hunger and poor nutrition on concentration and learning in the classroom, and the difference it makes to a child's overall wellbeing.

Some families are struggling to feed their children and a hungry child cannot learn in school. This makes sure that children have at least one cooked meal a day.

Children need good sustenance in the middle of the day to help boost their learning.

I had school dinners as a child, am now 77 and although my mother paid for them it ensured we ate a meal.

Because life and bills are hard enough, a school meal should be provided or even a small charge of like 50p but when its £1.20 just for one drink, its ridiculous.

What your income is should not dictate whether or not your child gets free school meals. There is a lot that happens behind the scene that is not present on the money coming in. Every child and parent should have the ability to know there is a warm nutritional meal waiting for them regardless of what is happening at home

Not everyone has an income coming in as a family. I have my husband working and I am a full time carer for my mother with dementia and mobility problems and carers allowance is nothing. With everything increasing, they should support kids with families.

I also struggle to pay, I’m always behind or in debt. Just because we have a job doesn’t mean it’s any easier, it doesn’t cut half our bills!

I don't have younger children now but I do believe every child deserves them, as its nourishing warming and healthy.

Cost of living is soaring right now, food, energy, rent… it all adds up. I honestly feel so grateful, as a single mother to two children, working and studying, that my children finally qualify for free school meals. No matter what statistics say every one struggles. I remember the days at school when I wasn’t entitled. I remember feeling singled out, and seeing friends having to queue up separately for tickets. It felt unfair then, and it matters so much that it doesn’t have to be like that now. Making them free lifts that worry off everyone’s shoulders.

With the stress of juggling finances and making ends meet, many parents are working hard to provide for their families and this would ease the pressure.

I work as a Police officer. After paying tax, national insurance and mandatory fees we are really struggling with 2 children at high school. I pay £60 per week for 2 children for school meals and the school bus travel meaning we are unable to save any money each month.

Every child deserves a good meal every day whilst in school. Look after the future, regardless of the income of parents.

Even when my eldest starts in year 3 my wife will only be working part time due to the youngest still going to nursery. Aside from that working full time for her while I do shift work and the kids are so young is nearly impossible due to school holidays. You normally get 5 weeks off per year per parent. 13 weeks off required to cover and thats not allowing sick or a week off together, ever! Most working families have only 1 full time worker until kids are older for reasons mentioned above. That is why I believe free school dinners should be for ALL primary school age children. Everyone is skint, things keep going up apart from wages. You can only cut your cloth so much until there's nothing left to cut.

There's no point in kids being at school if they're too hungry to learn.

Families are struggling enough at home, at least let a child get a meal in school.

All children should be able to start the day with their minds and bodies fuelled, not sit with stomachs rumbling and listless.

Everyone knows children focus and learn better when they are not hungry. Giving a free meal to every child takes the stigma away from who can and who cant afford a hot meal. Every child is equal. Having to make a packed lunch everyday,thinking of different things to pack is very stressful. A free school lunch would take the pressure of parents just one less thing to worry about. Makes the world of difference to parents.

Not all families including those where both parents are working can afford to pay for extra meals for their children. This would mean my child can have a hot dinner especially as we enter the colder months. A number of my child’s friends, can’t afford uniform either though both parents are working. 

So many parents and working parents are struggling to make ends meet.

I saw children deprived in many ways, one particular little boy at a school was so obviously neglected in every way no sole to his shoe, not washed and obviously malnourished. And yet his parents were not poor, he was the youngest of 4 children. He had breakfast at school and school dinners. When he went home at the end of the day he wasn't given a meal, just shoved out again with a bag of crisps. I wanted to help him, social services had tried but the parents were indifferent. Children, even if they come from what may be a reasonably well off family can still be neglected and be going hungry and might fall through the net of care.

This will reduce financial burden and improve the children's health supporting their learning outcomes.

Every child should be guaranteed at least one one healthy meal per day, unfortunately this is not always possible at home.

To pay for school meals for 2 children is over £100 a month, this is a massive amount for a family to find for their child to have a hot meal. This will ease my money as I was going to have to pay for 2 children from september, I now will receive free school meals for them which is a great help but even people who do not receive universal credit will struggle to pay for the school meals and I think that all primary children should receive a hot meal to aid learning and healthiness

So no child goes hungry - no one knows what goes on at home & a wealthier family doesn’t necessarily = a guaranteed healthy diet or food in the table!

It should be available for all. I have two primary school aged children and my husband and I both work and I do not see why claimants receive it and not others - by the time we have our wages and pay extra for childcare and school meals etc… we have less money than people who claim universal credit. It should be fair for all children.

All of us are paying taxes, all of kids deserve good meals and equal opportunities, if government can spend money in other areas they can spend in our schools.

Every child deserves a nutritional lunch. Lots of the children that bring a pack lunch to school have sugary items and no matter how much we speak to parents, this won’t change. We worry they are not getting the nutrients they need for their development.

I support this as I have 5 great grandchildren and I see everyday how their parents are struggling with paying bills and buying food. I think all kids should get free school meals. Kids are kids whatever their background or their needs. 

I work in the school kitchen, I am the Assistant Chef. I like to make sure we provide a healthy meal to all the children daily, for some it is probably the only hot meal they will get. It will be a great help for the children in the community who are not eligible for free meals.

My son is now in year 9 and it costs me £75 a month for school meals, some days he has nothing because there is not a lot left. Some days he has a good meal. Other days is pretty basic a cold sandwich!! We as working parents still get penalised. We don’t earn a fortune.. why can’t all school children get free meals?

I think free school meals should be for everyone within the UK, not just London. And regardless of income high or low! I’ve been on a high pay bracket as a family before and by the time you pay childcare, household bills, food, after school curricular activities, hobbies etc there is barely enough to cover the cost….even doing packed lunch daily is costly! So imagine all those on low income as I am now! For some children that may be their ONLY decent meal of the day!

I see a lot of children who come to school hungry. Every child deserves a hot dinner whilst at school. It’s also a way for every child to bond with friends.

I was a headteacher in an area of deprivation. In my first few weeks a child fainted in assembly because they had not eaten for nearly 48 hours. The food provided by the Local Authority was for free school meal pupils only but many parents didn’t claim, including some that were unable because they were unable to read or write. I witnessed lots of poverty where children’s futures were impacted by their backgrounds.

It is horrible thinking that some children are forced to go hungry whilst others are fed.

As a working parent, working as a teacher I have an affordable income however with the increase of other costs and now all 3 of my children in KS2 I am now having to pay £210 a month for my children to have a school dinner. Working parents are worse off and it's not fair.

I have seen poverty and some children rely on that one meal which costs very little and to make sure they get some nourishment at least once a day.

Too many children can't focus because they are hungry and/or lacking energy from not eating enough nutrients.

The free school meals are good for everybody.

I believe a lot of people who have mortgages & work are far worse off than those who receive Universal Credit as without rent you don’t have to be on a great salary to have your entitlement wiped out, probably have to pay a high mortgage repayment. I also believe eating together builds bonds and it gives children the opportunity to try new foods & to be guaranteed at least one healthy balanced meal a day.

Eating a complete diet can save a child a whole heap of trouble through their lives. Free School Meals for All just gives children a better start in life.

Because food is expensive - if it can be free in infants and keeps child nourished, it should be free for all children

Through my career as a teacher I have seen too many hungry children both in primary school and secondary, parents trying to ensure their children had food by buying the cheapest things available whether they were healthy options or not, just something to put in their child’s stomach.