Commenting on the Barnardo’s report A Crisis On Our Doorstep, Rosamund McNeil, Assistant General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The findings of this report are really concerning and show a neglect of the interests of children within policy making. The cost-of-living crisis follows the pandemic, which significantly worsened child poverty in the UK. The Government’s measures to date to combat this are inadequate. That almost a quarter of parents polled are struggling to feed their children should force policy change, immediately.
“We endorse the recommendations by Barnardo’s for universal free school meals in primary schools. Today’s report reveals a huge level of need with millions of children going hungry every day. Restrictive eligibility, complicated registration procedures and the stigma in-built into the system mean that children are missing out on existing support.
“This means that policy choices are locking people in poverty, and undermining efforts to equalise educational opportunities. As the cost-of-living crisis further squeezes household budgets, families across the income distribution will be worse off for years to come. For many, including those not eligible for Government support, this will mean a significant fall in living standards.
“Free school meals for all children in primary schools would put money back in parents’ pockets and is an effective way to tackle child hunger. We hope the Government will listen to the majority of parents and commit to funding free school meals for all children in primary schools.”