More children should be given free school meals to help tackle the "devastating reality" of the cost of living crisis in England, teachers say.
In a letter seen by the BBC, teaching unions said all children from families who receive universal credit should be eligible as part of an "urgent" expansion of the scheme.
Around one in five pupils - 1.7 million children - receive free school meals.
The government said it recognised households were struggling.
It said it had expanded access to the meals more than any other government in recent decades.
