JEN Craft, MP for Thurrock, has welcomed government plans to deliver free school meals to thousands of children in the borough.
From the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil in Thurrock whose household is on Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals; making life easier and more affordable for parents who struggle the most.
This move comes as part of a national commitment to expand eligibility, benefitting more than half a million more pupils across the country. Up to 7000 children in Thurrock are set to receive free school meals from September 2026 under new eligibility rules.
Estimated to save parents £500 per year, this scheme will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty. Since 2018, children have only been eligible for free school meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year, meaning hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty have been unable to access support.
Giving children access to healthy, nutritious meal during the school day leads to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better education outcomes. The expansion of free school meals will help level out the playing field – giving children the best possible chance to succeed in education.
This new support for families is part of Labour’s plan to tackle child poverty across the country and give every child the best start to life. The scheme comes on top of targeted support for families, with urgent action including raising the national minimum wage, uprating benefits and supporting 700,000 families through the Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.
Jen Craft, Member of Parliament for Thurrock, said:
“Labour’s expansion of free school meals will directly support parents and children in Thurrock, benefitting more than 7000 pupils in our community.
“I know this will make a big difference to local families, protecting family finances and lifting children out of poverty across the borough.
“I’m determined that every child in Thurrock should have the best start to life possible, so I’m delighted this targeted support will help set children up to succeed at school.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
“It is the moral mission of this government to tackle the stain of child poverty, and today this government takes a giant step towards ending it with targeted support that puts money back in parents’ pockets.
“From free school meals to free breakfast clubs, breaking the cycle of child poverty is at the heart of our Plan for Change to cut the unfair link between background and success.
“We believe that background shouldn’t mean destiny. Today’s historic step will help us to deliver excellence everywhere, for every child and give more young people the chance to get on in life.”
