The Mayor of London has made emergency funding available to extend food provision to those who need it most over the holidays, in partnership with Mayor’s Fund for London and The Felix Project.
Guidance and support for families
The Mayor knows that families are really struggling with the cost of living crisis right now. That’s why he’s taken the decision to provide funding to expand the government’s limited existing Free School Meals offer. This means that all state funded primary school children in London are now eligible for free school meals. Between the introduction of universal free school meals and the Easter holidays in 2024, the Mayor will have funded more than 32 million meals, providing families with a much needed safety net.
The extension of universal free school meals could save families up to £1000 per child across two years. *
Every child deserves the chance to be able to grow up healthy and thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances. But for this to happen, children must be able to access healthy, nutritious meals. These meals will be a crucial lifeline to London families during such tough economic times.
As past of his cost of living package, the Mayor is also providing emergency free holiday meals to support Londoners. The programme has provided 12.3m holiday and weekend meals to low-income families in Year 1 of the Free Holiday Meals programme. We expect to deliver more than 10m holiday and weekend meals over Year 2 of the Free Holiday Meals programme, with a 670,000 meals anticipated over the upcoming Easter Holidays.
Over two years, families which routinely pay for school lunches could save up to £1,000 per pupil due to the Mayor’s UFSM programme.
The GLA is using this figure having considered two scenarios that represent a range of costs: the cost of healthy packed lunches every day; and the cost for paying for school lunches every day, for each academic year (2023-24 and 2024-25).
It is assumed that on average school meals cost 13.25 per week (or £2.65 per meal) in 2023-24. We do not know the actual average cost of packed lunches, so we used the minimum estimated cost of a healthy packed lunch, £8.30 per week, using figures provided by the Food Foundation. The two figures were the basis for estimating annual cost savings for families as a result of the Mayor’s UFSM programme. The calculations for 2024-25 included projected population levels and inflation rates for that year. Savings are higher for those who routinely pay for school lunches than those who pack lunches.
Sources
- Pupil figures for 2023-24: the most recent available data on the number of KS2 pupils (Years 3-6) who are not eligible for the government’s free school meal (FSM) offering was collected from the Department for Education (see Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2022-23 – Explore education statistics – GOV.UK. While the number of pupils corresponds to the 2022-23 school year, we applied it to the 2023-24 school year calculations as we do not have 2023-24 Census data yet. This could be updated upon receiving that data.
- Pupil figures for 2024-25: GLA City Intelligence’s demographic projections are used (see Trend-based population projections – London Datastore) to account for the fact that pupils aged 7-10 (roughly corresponding to the age cohort of KS2 pupils Years 3-6) will slightly decline.
- Packed lunch costs: the lowest cost for packed lunches is applied, as identified by the Food Foundation (which is £8.30 per week; see Kids Food Guarantee Update: Packed Lunches - November 2023, Food Foundation).
- School meal costs: based on a meal cost of £2.65 the cost per week would be £13.25.
- Inflation rates: Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook for November 2023 estimate food inflation to be 2.03 per cent (see Economic and fiscal outlook – November 2023, Office for Budget Responsibility).
How will the scheme work in practice?
The government provides Universal Infant Free School Meals to all children in state funded infant school and to some older children that meet a strict eligibility criteria. The Mayor’s funding expands free school meals so that every child in a state London primary school has the offer of a free lunch.
The Mayor’s expansion will help up to 287,000 primary school children in the capital and could save families upwards of £440 across the year.
Families across London are desperately struggling with the spiralling cost of living and are in urgent need of more support. Around a third of parents and guardians of children between five and 11 years say they are ‘financially struggling’, with 16 per cent going without basic needs or relying on debt to pay for them.
City Hall has repeatedly called for the government to provide universal free school meals to help already stretched families, but they have simply failed to act. That’s why, in light of the growing pressures on families, the Mayor has intervened with this emergency one-year funding.
The Mayor’s programme is consistent with the government’s existing free school meals programme. It covers state-funded primary schools, special schools and pupil referral units, including faith schools, but not private or independent schools. Every child who attends one of these schools will be eligible for free meals under this scheme.
Your primary school children should automatically be enrolled to receive the offer of a free school meal for the 2023/24 academic year. Your school should be in touch to ask for the information they need to plan the number of meals they need to prepare.
It’s really important that you still complete your school or borough’s registration form for government funded Free School Meals, in case your child is eligible for extra funding for their school from the government, worth £1,300 per year.
Those parents whose children already qualify for Free School Meals under the government’s existing offer must also continue to apply for Free School Meals as before.
Extending free school meals to children who do not currently receive it, potentially saves families upwards of £440 across the year. Providing universal free school meals also removes the stigma associated with means-testing and helps improve take-up overall.
Food insecurity affects children’s wellbeing, with children from families experiencing food insecurity more likely to suffer poor mental health. Without a healthy school lunch, children struggle to concentrate and learn in the classroom. A free school meal will help all children to reach their potential.
Like with other free school meals, schools are expected to provide nutritious and balanced meals to children. The meals should meet the government's food standards, which make sure that children receive a variety of food groups and essential nutrients.
Please inform the school if your child has any specific dietary requirements, so appropriate arrangements can be made for their meals.
We hope you will take up the offer of support to your family but you are still able to send a packed lunch for your child if you would prefer. Policies on packed lunches are set by individual schools.
No, the scheme only provides an expansion of free school meals within London state-funded primary schools.
The Government has permanently extended free school meal eligibility to children in all households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), subject to maximum income thresholds.
Families should note that income thresholds are higher within London. Guidance on eligibility and income thresholds is available on the Government's website.
Families with no recourse to public funds who wish to register for free school meals should apply directly to their child's school. The school will assess and process the application in line with the Government guidance.
Schools are recommended to make proof of NRPF status as easy and flexible as they can. If parents are unable to provide evidence, they should be able to self-declare to the school to gain access to free school meals. The Children’s Society offer support and guidance to schools.
Continuing to register for government Free School Meals
Your child will receive their free school meal under the Mayor’s scheme automatically, but it is really important that you still complete your school or borough’s registration form in case your child is eligible for extra funding for their school from the government, worth £1,300 per year.
In some boroughs and schools there are also extra entitlements you might be eligible for, such as support for food in the school holidays.
You can find more information about how to register for government free school meals via your borough’s website, or by contacting your school.
How the Mayor is supporting Londoners with the cost of living
We champion the London Living Wage, which ensures that workers are paid a fair wage that covers the cost of living.
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