New research from the Covid Realities project and the Child Poverty Action Group (Patrick et al, 2021) says that restrictive eligibility criteria and barriers to FSM take-up are to blame.
The majority of those missing out are in England (900,000; 37 per cent) and Wales (55,000; 42 per cent), while Scotland (25,000; 17 per cent) and Northern Ireland (20,000; 22 per cent) fare relatively better.
Campaigners ultimately want to see school meals offered to every pupil, something which the report estimates would cost £1.75bn a year. In addition, families with no recourse to public funds, often due to their immigration status, should also be allowed access to FSMs.
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