EVERY kid in a family on Universal Credit should get free school meals, ministers have been told.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has joined forces with the Feed the Future campaign to demand another 800,000 children to get their school lunches.
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At the moment primary school kids get them free up to year two – during term time.
But after that, only households earning less than £7,400 a year in England can get the help.
Scotland and Wales have said they will roll them out to all primary school students.
Food campaigner Mr Oliver said they were “the most vulnerable in society” and called on the “mean” policy to be ripped up.
He told the BBC he was not a part of the “anti growth coalition” Ms Truss had taken aim at, adding: “We know in every way, shape and form that kids who have a decent lunch and breakfast learn better, their educational attainment is better… but no-one’s taken it seriously yet.”
But yesterday Deputy PM and Health Secretary, Therese Coffey, said the support should be better targeted – and pointed out that ministers had extended free school meals for kids in school holidays last year.
She said: “taxpayers may be surprised to learn that somebody on £35,000 or £40,000 would all of a sudden be eligible”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “This is a Government that takes action to protect people.
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“We do provide a significant number of families with free school meals.
“Obviously we need to make sure we’re setting the right balance.”
