Free school meals for more children in England is a positive thing, but there’s a catch | Polly Toynbee

The government’s announcement won’t mean much if disability and Pip cuts push more families into povertyGood news. Free school meals for all children in England on universal credit is rightly being celebrated by schools, nurseries, further education colleges and children’s charities. There may only be 500,000 extra recipients estimated by the government now, but in the long run 1.7 million children will be eligible, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies. “Fantastic news,” says the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), as 100,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by this annual £500 put back in parents’ pockets.Food matters. Hungry children can’t learn, and many miss school to avoid the public embarrassment of no dinner money and no packed lunch, according to CPAG’s Priced Out of School report. Strong evidence shows a rise in attainment and attendance if you feed children. The Feed the Future campaign finds not just academic achievement but health, happiness, reduced obesity and lifetime earnings improve if children don’t go hungry. Surely that can’t surprise anyone.Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

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