LACA responds to school meals concern over welfare benefit changes
Anne Bull, the chair of LACA, the professional association for school food, has responded to the news that thousands of children may lose out on their free school meal as a result of planned changes to the welfare benefits system.
The warning has come from The Children's Society, which has launched a 'Fair and Square' campaign against the plans.
Anne said: “In these tough economic times, a hot nutritious school lunch maybe the only hot meal that some children eat in a day and it is therefore essential that free school meals are available to all children who are currently entitled to them.
"We are very concerned about the reports that under proposals being considered by the government, children whose families earn more than £135 a week may lose out on their entitlement to a free school meal.
"This news is even more alarming when coupled with the report from the Children’s Society in March this year which brought to light the issue of ‘Hidden Poverty’ in Britain, noting that in 57 of the parliamentary constituencies studied, more than six in 10 children in poverty are not getting a free school meal.
"LACA eagerly awaits the opportunity to comment on these proposals in a consultation soon to be issued by the Department of Education.”