Free meals to be automatic for eligible pupils

A council has voted to automatically enroll eligible children in its free school meals system in a bid to tackle inequality.

Currently, parents are required to opt in to Somerset Council's scheme via an application form, which some argue creates unnecessary barriers to pupils receiving good nutrition.

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the change on Wednesday and a council spokesperson said "significant preparation" had already taken place.

Labour councillor Leigh Redman, who tabled the motion, said: "No child should miss out on support they are entitled to because of paperwork, a lack of awareness, or the stigma that can sometimes be associated with asking for help."

The council will now create an automatic registration process using existing council tax funding and housing benefit data.

Redman argued that the current system means schools are missing out on vital pupil premium income – extra funding of up to £2,690 per eligible child per year.

Any child offered free school meals, or who has been offered them in the past six years, would entitle the school to pupil premium funding.

Redman said: "We know that a healthy meal during the school day can make a real difference to a child's wellbeing, concentration and readiness to learn.

"At the same time, schools receive additional funding that can be invested in improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils."

He remarked that the motion did not expand eligibility of the free school meals scheme, but only sought to ensure children who qualify for them actually receive them.

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrat-controlled council said it hoped the new system could be introduced as early as January 2027.

"Implementation is complex," the spokesperson said, but added that the work required was "now within sight".

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