School Meal Debt in England
A growing debt crisis is one of the many problematic outcomes from entrenched poverty across the UK.
Since 2021, Aberlour Children’s Charity has conducted research into the levels of public debt facing families in Scotland.
Aberlour committed to campaign on the issue and help those children and families affected. Their campaigning work resulted in the Scottish Government creating a school meal debt fund, from which local authorities can draw to cover the costs of school meal debt, as well as the expansion of Free School Meals in Scotland to more low-income families. Aberlour broadened the scope of their research by seeking to better understand the issue as it stands in England.
The UK Government has recently announced an eligibility change for Free School Meals, which it says will provide an additional 500,000 pupils with Free School Meals. This change is welcome but the number who qualify is some way short of the estimated 900,000 pupils in England living in poverty not eligible for Free School Meals. It is reasonable to assume that this policy will not in itself eliminate growing poverty, the rising cost of living and school meal debt.