Free school meals for half a million more children

The extension will see over half a million more children benefit from a free nutritious meal every school day.

Since 2018, children have only been eligible for free school meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year, meaning hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty have been unable to access them.

The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) has welcomed the expansion. As a supporter of the Free School Meals for All campaign, the society has long been an advocator of free school meals for all primary school children in the UK.

However, whilst the announcement is a huge step in the right direction, the society has said there is still more to be done. The expansion does not cover every child in primary education and means-testing still leaves far too many pupils behind. As part of the Free School Meals for All coalition, the BSPD continues to campaign for hot school dinners for all primary school children, nationwide.