Lib Dem campaign successful, as 500,000 additional children set to receive free school meals

Alex Brewer, Lib Dem MP for North East Hampshire, has celebrated the party’s recent success campaigning for the expansion of free school meals.

From 2026, any child in England whose parents receive Universal Credit will be eligible to receive free school meals, regardless of their income. This will make around 500,000 more pupils eligible for the programme when compared with the current system, under which households must earn less than £7,400 per year to qualify.

The Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for this change, and its announcement came as very welcome news to many, including local MP, Alex Brewer.

Commenting, Alex said: “We are very pleased to see the Government's decision to extend free school meals to all those on universal credit. It was in our manifesto because we know the difference a hot meal can make to children's education and wellbeing outcomes.”

It was also announced that the Department for Education has set aside £1bn to fund the change through to 2029, which Alex said was “a sensible decision, given how schools’ existing budgets are already squeezed to breaking point.”