Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that children on free school meals receive free meals during the summer holidays.

Free school meals (FSM) are an educational entitlement intended to support children while they are being taught. Pupils do not receive FSM when they are not receiving education, including during school holidays.

The latest published statistics show that over 2 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 23.8% of all pupils, up from 22.5% in 2022. Together with almost 1.3 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal (UIFSM) policy, over one third of pupils receive a free meal in school. This is an increase from the one in six that received a free meal in 2010. Overall, two million more pupils now receive a free meal at school, compared to 2010. This is due to the introduction of UIFSM and generous transitional protections.

The Department is providing over £200 million per year in the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. HAF supplies food and activities for disadvantaged children in England for four weeks over summer and one week at Christmas and Easter each. The programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and readiness to be taught.

For those who require extra support, the Government is providing an additional £1 billion of funding, including Barnett formula, to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England in the next financial year. This is on top of what the Government has provided since October 2021, bringing total funding to £2.5 billion. In England, this will be delivered through an extension to the Household Support Fund, backed by £842 million, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, which local authorities use to help households with the cost of essentials.

Overall, the Government is providing total support of over £94 billion over 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of living.