Almost 6,000 children across Corby and East Northamptonshire will now be eligible to receive free school meals from September 2026 following an announcement by the Labour Government.

Any child in England whose parents receive Universal Credit will now be eligible, regardless of their income, where currently their household must earn less than the £7,400 a year to qualify.

“This new initiative means an extra 3,749 children in our community will now be eligible to receive a free school meal.” said Lee Barron MP.

“There is no doubt this will make an incredible difference to thousands more families across Corby and East Northamptonshire.” said Lee Barron MP.

Lee Barron MP on a recent visit to The Pen Green Centre in Corby.

placeholder image — Lee Barron MP on a recent visit to The Pen Green Centre in Corby.

“This new investment from the Government will save local parents £500 a year and across the UK will lift 100,000 children out of poverty.”

“We know if children are going to school ready to learn it makes a massive difference to their outcomes. If they are hungry then it is even harder to concentrate.”

The Department for Education has set aside £1 billion to pay for the initiative up to 2029.

“This really is a game changer for families and while there will always be more to do this is a significant step towards taking hunger out of the classroom.” Lee Barron MP said.

Lee Barron MP visits The Pen Green Centre

According to the School Food Matters campaign, equal access to nutritious food at school underpins equal access to health and learning.

The campaign has shown that food does more than fuel children for learning, it brings community, joy, exploration and pride.

“I am very much looking forward to this new initiative being rolled out across our local schools and seeing the difference it makes to local families across Corby and East Northamptonshire.” he said.