The government has not formally assessed the number of eligible children missing out on free school meals (FSM) in over a decade, it has emerged.
In response, the Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion on the Children Wellbeing and Schools’ Bill to auto-enrol eligible children for free school meals.
Education minister Stephen Morgan said that the last review of the number of children who are eligible for FSM was conducted in 2013.
He admitted in answering a parliamentary question that the Department for Education had “not formally assessed the number and proportion of children who would be eligible for FSM”.
“We recognise the vital role played by FSM and encourage all eligible families to take their entitlement up,” Mr Morgan said.
Local authorities have access to an eligibility-checking system to verify eligibility for FSM, he added.
Calls for auto-enrolment
The government has faced criticism from MPs and school leaders over the absence in the bill of automatic enrolment for free school meals.
Education Select Committee chair and Labour MP Helen Hayes called for “auto-enrolment” of children eligible for free school meals to be added to the bill, during a recent House of Commons debate.
An emergency scheme to tackle the cost-of-living crisis means that all primary school pupils in London are eligible for free school meals until the end of the 2024-25 academic year.
Charity Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and education unions have also voiced support for a similar scheme to be implemented.
CPAG recently highlighted that the means-tested school meal system is leading some schools to incur debt as a result of supporting parents who can not afford to pay.
‘Unbelievable’ free school meals comment
The Liberal Democrat clause would require local authorities to automatically enrol children who are eligible for free school meals.
The introduction of auto-enrolment in Durham led to 2,500 more eligible children receiving free school meals, the Liberal Democrats said, which also led to a £3 million boost in the pupil premium locally.
Munira Wilson, Liberal Democrats education spokesperson, said it is “unbelievable that Mr Morgan thinks that ‘encouragement’ is all that’s needed to fix free school meals uptake in this country”.
She added that the government must introduce “proper reform to the system so that eligible children automatically get the food they need”.
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