Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Department has made of the effectiveness of local authority opt-out free school meal registration schemes with the requirement for a claim to be made by a pupil, parent or other responsible adult; and if the Department will publish guidance on the basis on which local authorities may operate such schemes.

The department has now expanded free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit and we want to make sure that every family that is entitled to support can access it. That is why the department has upgraded its eligibility checking system, worked with schools and councils to reach parents directly and provided resources and guidance to support local awareness campaigns.

The department is closely monitoring FSM take-up as the expansion rolls out to ensure this support reaches every family that can benefit from it.

The department is aware that some local authorities choose to operate local arrangements to help identify children who may be eligible for free school meals and to support take-up. The department continues to work closely with local authorities but hasn’t formally assessed the efficacy of this method.