And schools will not see an immediate increase in pupil premiums under plans to raise the FSM income threshold.
And schools will not see an immediate increase in pupil premiums under plans to raise the FSM income threshold.
![FreddieWhittaker | Schools Week](https://schoolsweek.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Freddie-Whittaker-54x54.jpg)
![LibDemPolicymoneyfeat | Schools Week](https://schoolsweek.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Lib-Dem-Policy-money-feat.jpg)
Providing free school meals to all primary school children is “as ambitious as public finances allow”, the Liberal Democrats said.
The party also proposed raising the income threshold for means-tested meals to £20,000, expanding eligibility to 900,000 students. But schools will not receive pupil premium funding for these children immediately.
A policy motion at last year's party conference called for extending free school meals “to all children in primary education and to all secondary school children whose families receive universal credit”.
The Liberal Democrats have said that if they win today's election, they will immediately provide free school meals to “all 900,000 children in poverty who are currently out of school”.
the party said school week Raising the income threshold to £20,000 would do that.
According to a previous analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, this would cost around £425 million and “mean that around two-thirds of families receiving universal credit would also receive means-tested free school meals”. do”.
Universal first meal ‘subject to financial stability’
The second phase of the party's plan includes providing free school meals to all primary school students “as public finances stabilize”.
![Edward Davey official feat | Schools Week](https://schoolsweek.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Edward-Davey-official-feat.jpg)
IfS analysis shows that extending free school meals to all universal credit families as set out in last year's policy agreement would carry a much larger price tag of £1 billion. Providing a meal for every primary school child would cost an extra £1 billion.
The Liberal Democrats have allocated £500 million to raise income limits. This would come from around £1.4bn a year, up from a 4% levy on share buybacks by FTSE 100 listed companies.
However, unlike children who currently receive means-tested free school meals, schools will not receive pupil premium funding for young people who become eligible through the income threshold increase.
school week Analysis estimates it will cost at least £1.3 billion to fund additional pupil premiums.
“Initially, pupil premium allocations will remain in line with the existing eligibility requirements for FSM rather than the expanded requirements. “We aim to expand student insurance premiums to as many children from low-income families as public finances allow,” he said.
The Lib Dems have also not said whether the expansion of free school meals eligibility will include capital funding to help schools expand their kitchens and buy more catering equipment.
Warning about ‘second-tier’ student premium system
School meals campaigner Andy Jolley said he was pleased to see “a positive result for the Lib Dems”.
“But the lack of a firm timeline and no mention of food quality or monitoring is a disappointing omission.”
![AndyJolleyinset400px | school week Andy Jolly](https://schoolsweek.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Andy-Jolley-inset-400px.jpg)
He pointed out that the pupil premium was “a coalition policy designed to improve the outcomes of low-income students”.
“Creating a two-tier pupil premium system seems to defeat the whole purpose of it.”
Party leader Ed Davey said, “Across the country, we hear heartbreaking stories of children going to school with empty lunch boxes as their parents struggle to cover even basic expenses.
“Conservative lawmakers should be ashamed of the legacy of children going hungry amid the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.”