The consultation will examine the number of children and young people who could benefit from free school meals and uniform grants. It also explores a range of options and models the impact of each option in terms of the number of additional pupils that could benefit and potential associated costs.
Currently around one quarter of the school population in Northern Ireland are eligible for free school meals (94,000 pupils). Children in Northern Ireland can get free school meals if their parents are on universal credit and have net household earnings not exceeding £15,000 per year.
Minister Givan said: “Free school meals are a vital support for many low-income families to ensure that children have access to a healthy school lunch each day. The launch of this public consultation is an important opportunity for anyone to give their views on how we can move forward with the review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals.
“My department continues to face an extremely challenging budget and I want to ensure the funding available for free school meals is used as effectively as possible. This consultation will help us to better understand the views of all relevant stakeholders on the eligibility criteria for these supports. All views and comments will be considered as decisions are taken on the best way forward.”