Nearly one in four pupils at state schools in England is now eligible for free school meals, while a record one in five has a first language other than English, new figures show.
Eligibility for free school meals stood at 23.8% of all pupils in January this year, the equivalent of two million children – up from 22.5%, or 1.9 million, in January 2022.
The figure has increased every year since January 2018, when it stood at 13.6% or 1.1 million, according to data published by the Department for Education (DfE).
Children in state-funded schools in England can receive free meals if a parent or carer is receiving one of a number of benefits, including Universal Credit, child tax credits or income support.
Free meals can also be available to households unable to claim benefits but which meet certain criteria, such as children of work visa holders or families holding a British National Overseas passport who have moved to the UK from Hong Kong.
All pupils who have become eligible for free school meals since April 1 2018 will remain eligible until March 2025 as part of protections introduced during the roll-out of Universal Credit – a factor that is likely to have contributed to the ongoing increase.
