Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pupils would have been entitled to free school meals in 2022 under the previous system of benefits-based eligibility; and how many pupils will be entitled under the system of eligibility based on receipt of Universal Credit.

The information requested in not held centrally.

The department’s modelling estimates the difference in those eligible and claiming under the new government regulations compared to those eligible and claiming under the previous benefits system.

From the modelling, we estimate that by 2022, around 50,000 more children will benefit from free school meals compared to the previous benefits system.

The government is committed to reviewing the level of the threshold in order to ensure that the children in need of free school meals the most will continue to receive.