A poll of 2,106 parents of primary-aged children in England, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the National Education Union, found that
- Cost of living pressures persist for parents in England. Around one third (31 per cent) have had to cut the quantity or variety of their food shop since the start of the school year.
- An overwhelming 89 per cent of parents support Free School Meals (FSM) for all children attending primary school.
- A majority (57 per cent) say that extending FSM to all primary school children would have a positive impact on their family finances, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact families.
- 56 per cent of parents not on Universal Credit (UC), who the government’s latest reforms extending FSM will not reach, say FSM for all would have a positive impact on their family finances, while 44 per cent said the same about their mental wellbeing
From September 2026 every child from families on UC will get FSM, extending hot school dinners to more than half a million additional children.
However, as this polling demonstrates, means-testing will always leave children and families behind. The National Education Union continues to call for FSM for all children attending primary schools – as has been the case in London since 2023 and Wales since September 2024. In the rest of England, FSM are universal from Reception through Year 2. From Year 3 on, this stops and hundreds of thousands of children miss out on this school essential.
The NEU’s No Child Left Behind campaign launched its demand for ‘Free School Meals for All’ in September 2022. It has since grown from a coalition of 100 to more than 350 civil society leaders and organisations, MPs and councils calling on the government to deliver the dinners this September so every child has the basics to learn, thrive and go on to a bright future.
Cost of living
The cost-of-living continues to present challenges for many families across the country, and well beyond those on UC. We asked:
| Thinking more generally about your household’s finances, which of the following best reflects your household’s position? | |
| My household cannot afford my essential costs, and often have to go without things like food and heating | 3% |
| My household can only just afford my essential costs and often struggles to make ends meet | 19% |
| My household can normally comfortably cover the essentials, but I do not often have money for luxuries | 49% |
| My household is relatively comfortable financially | 26% |
| My household is very comfortable financially | 4% |
One in five parents overall (22 per cent) cannot afford essentials or struggled to make ends meet. Amongst those on UC this figure was double (44 per cent).
An indicator of how parents are getting by can be found in their food shop. With many parents also providing packed lunches for their children to take to school, the findings show how cutbacks are reflected in their shopping basket. As part of a multiple-choice question, they told us:
| Thinking about your household’s finances since the start of this school year (September 2025), have you had to take any of the following actions to help with the cost of living? | |
| Reducing the quantity of food in food shop(s) | 31% |
| Reducing the variety of food in food shop(s) | 31% |
| Asking friends or family for support | 13% |
| Cutting back on cooking meals to save on utility bills | 9% |
| Skipping meals so my child(ren) can eat | 8% |
| Visiting a foodbank | 3% |
| None of these | 50% |
| Prefer not to say | 1% |
Parents told us that both the quantity and variety of the food shop had reduced (31 per cent in both cases). Looking at regional breakdowns, the peak was in the North East where 42 per cent are reducing quantity and 38 per cent the variety.
The polling finds that even among parents not on UC, 28 per cent are still reducing weekly food shop variety and 27 per cent are reducing weekly food shop quantity. This suggests that the government's proposed reforms will not go far enough in tackling the cost-of-living crisis for many families.
Cost-of-living pressures are impacting what opportunities or basics parents can provide for children. One in six parents not in receipt of UC report having to reduce or stop out-of-school activities (16 per cent), with a similar number reducing after-school activities for their children also (14 per cent). 15 per cent are making cutbacks on school uniforms as well.
Of those parents who told us they had reduced quantity and/or variety of food in their shop – around 900 of the total sample – we asked them for more detail in a further multiple-choice question.
| Which, if any, of the following food staples have you had to reduce on? | |
| Red meat | 64% |
| White meat (chicken, turkey, etc) | 39% |
| Fresh fruit | 37% |
| Fish | 35% |
| Cheese, eggs or other dairy products | 27% |
| Fresh vegetables | 26% |
| Pasta/rice | 6% |
| None of the above | 12% |
| Don’t know | 2% |
Among the cohort of c. 900 parents who primarily provide packed lunches, a third (33 per cent) told us that the cost of nutritional food was a barrier to that lunch being healthier.
School Meals
In London, where every child in a state primary school receives FSM, they are exceedingly popular with parents. In its first year, the Mayor's flagship programme saw 90 per cent uptake from children.
In the rest of England, where FSM continues to be means-tested after Year 2, YouGov asked those who do opt for school meals in Years 3-6 to think of their eldest child and share why.
| Which of the following reasons describes why you made the decision for your child to have school meals? (Choose no more than three of the following options) | |
| They are hot meals | 43% |
| My child gets to sit and socialise during lunch time | 27% |
| They are free | 24% |
| They help my child try new foods | 22% |
| There is a selection of choices | 20% |
| My child gets to eat the same food as their friends | 20% |
| They are healthy | 19% |
| It is hard to find the time to make a packed lunch | 17% |
| They help my child concentrate better in school | 7% |
| Children at the school must have school meals | 4% |
| Other | 10% |
| None of the above | 3% |
| Don’t know | 1% |
Parents welcome the opportunity for socialising (27 per cent), healthy eating (19 per cent) and a varied diet (22 per cent) that school meals present. The importance of a hot meal was the most common response (43 per cent). The time saved on making a packed lunch was also a factor for a significant minority (17 per cent).
There is a spike regionally, with 51 per cent of parents in London telling us that school meals being free is a factor in their choice. In the capital, where Free School Meals are universally available, parents can speak from experience, suggesting that they benefit from the financial support it provides. If the capital is excluded from the results, the rest of England averaged 18 per cent rather than the 24 per cent figure shown above. Sentiment in London on other themes of this question - e.g. socialising, health, and dietary - is otherwise broadly consistent with the rest of the nation.
Parent support for Free School Meals for All
The NEU welcomed the government’s introduction of free breakfast clubs for all primary school children and recognition of the important role that food plays in a school day. However, unions and school leaders continue to advocate for that midday meal as the most important for children's learning, wellbeing and development. Crucially, parents also report that the extension of FSM to all children in primary school, not only to families on UC, would have a greater impact on their lives.
Overall, 57 per cent thought the effect of FSM for All would be positive on their family’s finances: 35 per cent saying it would positively impact finances ‘a fair amount’ and 22 per cent ‘a great deal’. 36 per cent looked forward to the free time they would gain back, while 45 per cent viewed the introduction of FSM to all years of primary as a potential positive factor for their mental wellbeing.
Among those parents who do not receive UC there was strong support. They report that FSM for All would positively impact their family finances (56 per cent), free time (36 per cent) and mental wellbeing (44 per cent).
We also asked parents not in receipt of UC if they would take up the government’s free breakfast clubs offer if it was introduced at their child’s school. Around half (46 per cent) said they would, with 24 per cent ‘fairly likely’ and 22 per cent ‘very likely’ to do so. Meanwhile when it comes to FSM for All, the take-up of the FSM for All offer has been overwhelming, at 90 per cent, as reported by the Education Endowment Foundation’s initial evaluation of the scheme.
A significant number also believed free breakfast clubs would have a positive impact on finances (36 per cent), free time (34 per cent) and mental wellbeing (35 per cent), but the survey shows parents not in receipt of UC feel universal school dinners would do more.
Finally, parents overall were asked if they would support a change to FSM nationwide:
| To what extent, if at all, would you support or oppose the UK government extending Free School Meals to all primary children in England (ages 4-11)? | |
| Strongly support | 65% |
| Tend to support | 24% |
| Tend to oppose | 5% |
| Strongly oppose | 3% |
| Don’t know | 3% |
Extending FSM to all those ages 4-11 years is widely supported by parents, with two thirds strongly supportive (65 per cent). Just 8 per cent are opposed.
It is notable that the support varies regionally, with the greatest enthusiasm being from parents in the North West (94 per cent combined support), then London (92 per cent), North East, West Midlands and South West (91 per cent).
Commenting on the poll's findings, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"The overwhelming view of parents is that now is the time for free school meals for all primary school children.
"A full stomach makes for a more engaged learner. It makes good economic sense too: a generation thriving is good for the future of the country. That is why the government and schools play a vital role in providing hot nutritious food every day for those in most need.
"But with the cost-of-living crisis showing no sign of ending, more families are struggling to make ends meet, and putting food on the table is one of the biggest challenges of all.
"That is why, if this government is committed to giving 'every child the education they deserve', it must build on the progress it has already made in dismantling the two-child limit and expanding FSM to half a million children in families in receipt of Universal Credit from September.
"Ministers must build on the successes from London and roll-out universal free school meals to ensure no child is left behind."
Reacting to the impact on parents, Frank Young, Chief Executive of ParentKind, said:
“Parentkind has supported the coalition for Free School Meals for All since its inception. This is a change that parents would overwhelmingly welcome. Parents are always doing their best but we all know that preparing healthy, cold packed lunch every day, that your child will eat, is a real challenge for many families balancing the cost of school and increasing pressures on family finances.
“As this polling shows, extending Free School Meals to all primary school children would ease the pressures on parents – but it’s about more than that. Parents recognise the importance of hot school meals. They help their children learn, build good eating habits, and socialise with friends over lunch. Parents want all this for their children, and support Free School Meals in primary schools as a way of making it happen.”
Editor’s Note
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,106 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 19th - 31st March 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all parents with primary school aged children in England (aged 18+).