Free school meals to be extended to 500,000 more children

The UK government has announced that free school meals will be extended to 500,000 more children in England, regardless of their parents' income, if they receive Universal Credit starting in September 2026. The move is aimed at reducing child poverty and saving parents £500 a year, with additional funding set aside for this initiative. While welcomed by many, some think tanks and organizations believe that further measures, such as lifting the two-child benefit cap, may be more effective in tackling child poverty.