In May, a new blog was published discussing how Free School Meals (FSMs) are becoming more and more difficult for low-income families to access. Families receiving UC need to earn less than £7,400 a year to be eligible for FSMs. The £7,400 threshold is a cliff edge in support, and it has also been frozen at the same level since 2018 – getting tighter as the National Living Wage (NLW) has risen.
We are urging the government to expand and strengthen FSMs as part of the child poverty strategy, looking at the frozen eligibility threshold, but also addressing the lack of auto-enrollment and the patchy provision of holiday FSM support.
Advisers have submitted evidence forms on this issue over the years to help that form the basis of the Citizens Advice case study! Read the full blog here!
