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.
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