One in five Scots children in poverty still not eligible for free school meals

One in five children in poverty in Scotland are still not eligible for free school meals, according to new analysis.

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) warned some 25,000 kids living below the poverty line - 20 per cent - don't receive free school lunches.

It comes after First Minister John Swinney dumped his promise for universal free school meals for every primary school pupil.

This month's Programme for Government instead restricted support for kids in P6 and P7 from low income families.

But the SNP Government was humbled when Scottish Parliament voted in favour of expanding universal free school meals to all primary school pupils in a non-binding vote last week.

The CPAG said its analysis is "a stark reminder of just how important John Swinney’s promise of free school meals for all primary school pupils in Scotland was."

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The 20 per cent rate of Scots kids in poverty missing out was lower than the English rate of 33 per cent. Northern Ireland also had 20 per cent missing out.

But Wales - which has always had a Labour Government - had a lower rate of 15 per cent. Universal free school meals have been rolled out across Welsh primary schools.

John Dickie, CPAG director, said: "This new analysis from CPAG is a stark reminder of just how important John Swinney’s promise of free school meals for all primary school pupils in Scotland was.

"With so many children in poverty missing out, young people themselves telling us what a priority free school meals are, and the Scottish Parliament unanimous in its support the First Minister must surely now reinstate the delivery of free school meals for all primary school pupils.”

The CPAG also carried out a survey of 5,000 primary school children, in which 89 per cent said the promise to make sure all primary school children receive free school meals was very important (71 per cent) or quite important (18 per cent).

One primary pupil commented: “We can't help what age or class we’re in. Just because were in primary 6 or 7 does not mean that we have money. It should be equal”

Another pupil added: “It’s not our fault if our grown-ups can’t afford a lunch”.

The latest official Scottish government statistics published on September 17 found uptake for all school meals is highest among pupils with universal entitlement.

For P1 to P5s this was 72.4 per cent and 78 per cent in special schools. It was lowest among pupils where access to free meals is means-tested. For P6 and P7s 43.7 per cent and for secondary schools 42.1 per cent.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ministers have consistently warned of the significance of the financial challenges, due to prolonged Westminster austerity, the cost of living crisis & record high inflation - which has placed enormous and growing pressure on the public finances.

“That means that, whilst we remain resolutely committed to the universal expansion of free school meals in primary schools, the funding is not available for this to be completed by 2026. Our immediate focus is now to expand provision further to those in Primary 6 and 7 in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment, which we will deliver in this parliamentary term.

“We continue to make free school meals available for nearly 278,000 pupils in primaries 1 to 5 and special schools, and to those eligible in P6 to S6 saving around £400 per child per year.”

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