Eligibility For Free School Meals And Uniform Grants To Be Reviewed

Education Minister Paul Givan has announced a review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals and uniform grants, seeking input from the public with a new consultation.

The consultation will examine the number of children and young people who could benefit from free school meals and uniform grants. It also explores a range of options and models the impact of each option in terms of the number of additional pupils that could benefit and potential associated costs.

The Minister said: "Free school meals and uniform grants are a vital support for many low-income families to ensure that children have access to a healthy school lunch each day and have financial support with the costs associated with school uniforms.

"The launch of this public consultation is an important opportunity for anyone to give their views on how we can move forward with the review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals and uniform grants." The consultation seeks views on how the Department can use the funding available for free school meals and uniform grants to maximise the benefits to children, young people and their families.

The Minister continued: "My Department continues to face an extremely challenging budget and I want to ensure the funding available for free school meals and uniform grants is used as effectively as possible.

"This consultation will help us to better understand the views of all relevant stakeholders on the eligibility criteria for these supports. All views and comments will be considered as decisions are taken on the best way forward."

The consultation documents are available on the Department’s website at www.education-ni.gov.uk/consultations/review-free-school-meals-and-uniform-grant-eligibility-criteria with the consultation closing on Friday 14 February 2025.