School Food Trust welcomes free school meals plan

The plans see the pilots extended to at least one per English region, as well amending the general qualifying criteria for working families. The School Food Trust has welcomed plans announced in today's pre-budget report that more children will be eligible to receive Free School Meals. The plans will see the universal free school meals pilots extended to at least one in each English region, as well amending the general qualifying criteria for working families. The Trust's chief executive, Judy Hargadon, said: "Free School Meals ensure that thousands of children receive a nutritious hot meal every day, and we strongly support any move to increase the number of families who can benefit. "We're working very closely with the Government's existing pilots and we are delighted to hear that this work will be extended so that all English regions have at least one pilot. We know that what children eat within school makes a real difference to their health, well being and ultimately performance and we hope as many families as possible will take up this opportunity. "Alongside this, the challenge for us all is to continue making more families aware of their entitlement to free school meals so that they can start claiming what's theirs as quickly as possible."