Extension to free school meals in London

The Mayor of London has committed £135 million to help up to 270,000 primary school children receive free school meals in state-funded schools in the capital from September.

It is hoped that the funding will save families an average of £440 a year and help families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

Recent polling from YouGov Plc shows that around one in six parents (16 per cent) of children between five and 11 years are going without essentials, including food, electricity or gas, with more than one in three (36 per cent) buying less food and essentials. More than one in three (36 per cent) parents and guardians of children between five and 11 years say they are ‘financially struggling’, with around one in six (15 per cent) going without basic needs or relying on debt to pay for them.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It is truly shocking that so many families across the capital are struggling to feed themselves as they deal with the escalating cost-of-living crisis. It simply cannot be right that in a city as prosperous as ours around one in six parents are going without essentials to get by. I’m determined to do all I can to help and know from personal experience what a lifeline free school meals can be. That is why I stepped forward with this unprecedented funding to provide hundreds of thousands of primary school children with free schools meals. By ensuring children don’t go hungry in the classroom and helping their families, we can build a better and more prosperous city for all Londoners.”

The Leader of Haringey Council, Cllr Peray Ahmet, said: “The cost of living crisis and the rising price of food means many parents and carers are finding it difficult to feed their families and lots are struggling who are not eligible for any free school meals at present. That’s why we welcome the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s visit to Haringey and his emergency intervention to provide all London primary schoolchildren free school meals throughout the next academic year. This invaluable support will ensure that our children are provided for, and no child will go without. We already have an extended free school meals programme in Haringey and take other strong measure to help our families with our Here to Help scheme and the Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) programme. I’m sure the Mayor’s Free School Meals pledge will go down really well with families across Haringey and the rest of the capital, and I hope this popular measure can continue in the years to come.”

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