One in five families miss out on free school meals

The School Food Trust has previously estimated that 24% of children who are entitled to free school meals (334,000) are not registered to take them. When asked whether the extra cash from free school meals would come in handy, four out of ten parents (39%) with an income of less than £16,000 per year said they would put the money to good use to cover urgent bills. A further 29% said they would use the money to buy clothes or toys for their children. The research found that some parents could be wasting £1,140 a year, by failing to check if they are entitled, and instead giving their children money to buy lunch. Of those parents who give their children lunch money, six in ten (59%) gave on average £3 per child per day. The School Food Trust asked what would encourage parents to take up the offer of a free school lunch. 38% of parents believed better promotion was the answer. The same percentage also thought parents would be more likely to sign up if more children were entitled, highlighting that parents did not want their children to feel singled out. Judy Hargadon, chief executive, School Food Trust, commented: "The recent school census showed that the number of children registered for free school meals rose by 21,410 this year - the first annual increase in three years. We want to reach the parents of children who are entitled to receive a free meal, but aren't claiming it. The Trust knows that many parents simply do not know that they can claim. We are working with schools and local authorities to promote free school meals and make sure parents have all the information they need. As the recession bites and unemployment rises, cash strapped families need to be making all the savings they can; we would urge any parent to check with their school or local council and start claiming what's theirs." Jackie Schneider, chair of Merton Parents group, campaigns nationally for better school dinners: "Many parents are worried that if their child eats free school meals other children will know and they will be made to feel 'different', but things have changed. In many schools payment is made at the office now, in private, and some schools use a pre-paid card system so children don't need to carry cash. We want all schools to make it impossible to tell who 'pays' for lunch or not, so that no child could ever feel embarrassed about claiming what's rightfully theirs." "Parents may also not realise that the quality of school food is now much better. It really is the best way to make sure your child is getting the nutrients they need to help them learn." Children are highly likely to be entitled to receive free school meals if their household income (including benefits) does not exceed £16,040 and they do not get Working Families Tax Credit. Parents can apply online via their council or pick up a form at their school. For more information visit: www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/fsm