Almost 300,000 primary pupils in London to get free school meals

Up to 287,000 primary school pupils across London are expected to receive free lunches through a £135m programme, new figures reveal.

The programme, announced by the the mayor of London in February, will operate on a universal basis throughout the 2023/24 academic year.

The borough with the highest number of children to benefit is Barnet, where 13,495 pupils will receive the meals.

Kensington and Chelsea will receive the fewest lunches with 2,539 children.

While not technically a borough, the programme is also being rolled out to schoolchildren in the City of London with a total of 113 pupils entitled to the meals there.

City Hall said families would save "upwards of £440 per child".

The government already provides free school meals on a universal basis for children up to and including Year 2.

After that point, the government only provides lunches to children from households receiving certain benefits.

For households on universal credit, they must earn less than £7,400 a year - after tax and not including benefits, and regardless of the number of children in the family - in order for their children to be eligible for the meals.

The lunches administered through the mayor's scheme will therefore provide for children in Years 3-6.

Five London boroughs - Islington, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Westminster - all currently provide universal free school meals for all primary school children.

City Hall said funding was still being allocated to the five boroughs as if they were not currently providing the meals.

Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "I know from personal experience what a lifeline free school meals can be, which is why I'm determined to do all I can to help families across London who are struggling during this escalating cost-of-living crisis."

At the time the policy was announced, City Hall said it was "one-off funding" from additional business rates and called on the government to provide long-term support.

Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate in next year's mayoral election, said she would maintain the policy in place through to the 2024/25 school year "at a minimum", if she was elected.

Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrat education spokesperson and MP for Twickenham, welcomed the initiative, but urged the mayor not to "pull the plug" on its funding next year.

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