Thousands of parents ‘unaware’ they may be eligible for free school meals as new rule comes into force next month

THOUSANDS of parents could be unaware that their child is eligible for free school meals, a charity has warned. Come September 1, a new policy will come into place which means that more children will get access to service. More children will get access to the service Credit: PA Child Poverty Action Group (Cpag) has warned that pupils may miss out on free school dinners as parents may be unaware that their children are now eligible. Announced in June, the policy was widened to include all households on the universal credit (UC) benefit, above the current £7,400 annual household income cap. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! This is expected to lead to more than half a million extra pupils becoming eligible for Free School Meals from September, saving families an estimated £495 per year, per child. But research from Cpag has found that more than half of parents with newly eligible children may not realise that they will qualify, leading to warnings that the policy will become “underused”. As a result, the charity has urged the government to identify and inform newly eligible families, as well as provide information explaining what they need to do to register. Cpag’s head of education policy, Kate Anstey, said: “With so many families struggling, it’s on Government to ensure the country’s children get what little help is available.” Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said while the policy change was “welcome”, checking eligibility would create an “additional barrier and unnecessary workload” for schools. He added that the situation could be avoided with the introduction of auto-enrolment, where eligible pupils would automatically be added onto the registry. Most read in Money A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We’re working closely with schools and councils to make sure every eligible family knows about it. “So if you’re a parent and you’re not sure whether your child qualifies – just ask the school.” Other qualifying factors include those on income-related Employment and Support Allowance, and those with support from Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. All state school children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 receive free meals regardless of income, as well as all primary school pupils across London boroughs. Cpag’s research comes from an online survey, which found that 55 per cent of the 201 parents polled whose children would qualify from next month were unaware they would be affected by the change. Comment now