Political Opinion: Local MP backs plans to expand eligibility for free school meals for up to 4690 children in Aylesbury constituency
Aylesbury constituency MP Laura Kyrke-Smith has today (5 June) come out in support of the Labour government’s plans to deliver a free nutritious meal every school day for over half a million more children, including up to 4690 children across Aylesbury and the villages, by expanding eligibility for free school meals.
From the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil in Aylesbury constituency whose household is on Universal Credit will have a new entitlement to free school meals.
This will make life easier and more affordable for parents who struggle the most, delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change to break down barriers to opportunity and give children the best start in life. It is expected to save parents £500 on average.
The unprecedented expansion will lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty.
Giving children the access to a nutritious meal during the school day also leads to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes – meaning they get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.
Since 2018, children have only been eligible for free school meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year, meaning hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty has been unable to access free school meals.
Labour’s historic new expansion to those on Universal Credit will change this and comes ahead of the Child Poverty Taskforce publishing its ten-year-strategy to drive sustainable change later this year.
It comes on top of targeted support for families being hit the hardest with the cost-of living crisis, with urgent action including raising the national minimum wage, uprating benefits and supporting 700,000 families through the Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.
Laura Kyrke-Smith MP said: “I know how much the stain of child poverty has impacted families in Aylesbury constituency.
“That’s why I fully support this decisive and much needed action to expand entitlement for free school meals, lifting up to 4690 children across Aylesbury and the villages out of poverty and putting money back in parents’ pockets.
“Children across Aylesbury constituency deserve the best start in life, and I’m proud that Labour is delivering this through the Plan for Change.”
To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, Labour is also acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance.
This new entitlement will apply to children in all settings where free school meals are currently delivered, including schools, school-based nurseries and Further Education settings. It is expected that many schools will allow parents to apply before the start of the 2026 school year, by providing their National Insurance Number to check their eligibility.
Schools and local authorities will continue to receive pupil premium and home to school transport extended rights funding based on the existing free school meals threshold.
This is just the latest step in Labour’s Plan for Change to break the unfair link between background and opportunity, including rolling out free breakfast clubs, expanding government funded childcare to 30 hours a week for working parents and a commitment to cap the number of branded school uniform items.
From April 2026 until the end of parliament, millions of households are set to receive a permanent yearly above inflation boost to Universal Credit. The increase, a key element of the Government's welfare reforms to be laid before Parliament, will tackle the destitution caused by years of inaction that has left the value of the standard allowance at a 40 year low by the early 2020s.