Government announcement of free school meals scheme

KentOnline / KMTV

An expansion of the government's free school meals scheme across the country and in Kent means that families on universal credit will be able to access the service.  But in Medway, food poverty is still a huge issue, and with the scheme set to roll out by September 2026, is enough being done now to ensure struggling families can give their children the food they need?  Finn Macdiarmid has been finding out.

Transcript

00:00Food poverty is a huge issue in Medway, but a new government scheme hopes to take some of the pressure off of struggling families.

00:07The new scheme would mean any children living in a household on universal credit would be entitled to free school meals.

00:12The national project is set to be rolled out by September 2026,

00:16and according to local politicians, for the 500,000 children expected to benefit from it and their families,

00:22the scheme couldn't have come soon enough, especially for the local area.

00:25This is really important. I know from a first-hand experience as a school teacher that many families do struggle with their family finances,

00:36and sometimes that does manifest in schools where kids are struggling to eat properly during the day,

00:42and of course that is a major distraction and it stops kids from achieving their potential.

00:47So this is not only important for the children to maximise their outcomes at school,

00:52but also it gives certainty to parents that they don't need to worry about additional cost on their cost of living every single month.

01:00Now, queues for food banks here in Medway can be particularly long, with many relying on the vital service.

01:05So how much could a free school meal help local families?

01:09Well, since 2018, children were only eligible for free school meals

01:13if their household's income was less than the £7,400 a year limit.

01:18But with this removed, the government say it will lift 500,000 children across England completely out of food poverty

01:24and save struggling parents £500 every year.

01:28The government have also released statistics saying that more than 5,000 children in Gillingham and Raynham

01:32will receive the free meals by 2026.

01:35So how much did Gillingham need this new scheme?

01:38I think a lot of areas at the moment are struggling.

01:40I think the economic crisis everywhere is getting worse and worse.

01:43I think it's good that the government have effectively pulled their finger out

01:45and ensured that a lot of families that, you know, are really struggling

01:49are still going to be able to make ends meet to a degree.

01:52I think it's good news.

01:53I think, you know, child poverty is only going up in the country

01:56and after years and years of destitution left by the Tories,

02:00it's quite good to see a Labour government enacting a policy you'd expect from them.

02:04I totally agree with it.

02:05Obviously, we don't get universal credit.

02:08Obviously, only selected families do, but I think it would ease food poverty if they did, yes.

02:13While it's certainly welcomed, some locals were also telling me

02:16that those not on universal credit can still struggle to put food on the table

02:20and with food banks struggling to keep up with rising demand,

02:23food poverty will remain a big issue in Medway.

02:26I think there's always been a lot of issues.

02:28Covid, I think, was a big change for people.

02:30A lot of people started to struggle.

02:32The food bank, the numbers went up crazy at one stage,

02:35but they're not really letting up.

02:36There's still a lot of people still using the food banks.

02:38We're lucky in Medway.

02:39There's a lot of good services out there that help people with food poverty.

02:42So it's good, but the numbers are not letting up.

02:44I think the only thing that is letting up a bit is the donations.

02:46Donations are not as good as they used to be.

02:48So the companies out there, the other charities out there,

02:50are struggling to get stuff to donate to people.

02:52An extra meal for those who need it most seems to be a welcome change,

02:57but many say that more needs to be done, especially on a local level,

03:00to ensure everyone can afford to feed their families.

03:03Finn McDermott for KMTV in Gillingham.

Category

Transcript

Recommended