Luke Myer, Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, has welcomed the Labour Government’s plan to extend free school meal entitlement to all children whose families receive Universal Credit. The policy will give over half a million more pupils across England access to a free, nutritious meal every school day from September 2026.
Data from the Department for Education indicates that up to 4,770 children in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland will benefit. It follows work by both Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and Middlesbrough Council to auto-enrol eligible children for free school meals, so families do not have to fill out extra forms to apply when they become eligible.
The free school meal expansion will put an estimated £500 back into parents’ pockets each year, reduce pressure on family budgets, and form a central pillar of Labour’s wider plan to break the link between background and opportunity. Nationally, it is expected to lift 100,000 children out of poverty and support improved behaviour, attainment and wellbeing in schools. Under the previous system, families only qualified for free school meals if household income was below £7,400 a year — a threshold that left hundreds of thousands of children in poverty without guaranteed access to a hot meal. Expanding entitlement to all families in need modernises the system and ensures support reaches those who need it most.
The policy sits within the Government’s wider programme to support families through the cost-of-living crisis, including raising the national minimum wage, uprating benefits, expanding free breakfast clubs, and introducing the Fair Repayment Rate to ease the pressure of Universal Credit deductions. The successful free school breakfast club pilot at Pennyman Primary, St Bernadette’s Primary, Skelton Primary and Lockwood Primary is paving the way for expansion to all state primary schools next year.
The announcement comes alongside additional measures to tackle food insecurity and support a healthier food system, including more than £13 million in funding for 12 food redistribution charities to deliver surplus fresh produce directly from farms to communities and schools. This forms part of Labour’s broader Food Strategy to build a more resilient and sustainable supply chain.
To ensure quality and nutrition, Labour will also update the School Food Standards, working with experts to provide schools with improved guidance. The new entitlement will apply across settings where free school meals are currently offered, including schools, school-based nurseries, and further education providers.
Luke said the change will make a tangible difference to families across Teesside and reflects Labour’s commitment to giving every child the best possible start in life.
Luke Myer MP said:
“Too many families in our area have faced the impossible choice between paying bills and putting food on the table. Extending free school meals to every child whose parents are on Universal Credit is a practical, fair and long overdue step.
It will ease pressure on household finances, support children’s learning and wellbeing, and help break down the barriers that hold young people back. This is exactly the kind of action families in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland expect – and Labour is delivering it.”