I grew up on free school meals.

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I remember our bare cupboards and wondering if my mum and dad would have enough money to put food on the table that week. What stays with you is the stigma. In my day, we stood in a separate queue with vouchers; the line between the haves and have-nots was drawn for everyone to see.Schools are better at masking that divide today, but the stigma remains. It exists for children who are told in the canteen they’re out of credit. In the anxiety of parents who can’t keep up with payments. Even as a working parent, I saw my children leave primary school with meal debt. While packed lunches seem like an affordable alternative, anyone who has recently priced up a week of nutritious fresh food will tell you differently.At Bridging the Gap Manchester, we see how economic shocks have pushed families from all walks of life into crisis. With fuel and inflation now up again, we know nobody is immune to tipping into crisis. That’s why, even with the Government’s plan to extend eligibility to all families on Universal Credit this September, many will still slip through the cracks.The National Education Union’s (NEU) latest evidence shows that cost-of-living pressures persist across the board. One third of parents of primary-aged children have cut the quantity or variety of their food shopping since the school year began. One in five have reduced or stopped out-of-school activities, and 17 per cent are reducing or not buying new uniforms.This isn’t limited to the lowest incomes; only one in four parents feels financially comfortable. Meanwhile, 56 per cent of parents not on Universal Credit say universal free school meals would ease their finances, and 44 per cent say it would improve their mental wellbeing.We see it in our food banks: means-testing creates cliff edges and preserves the very stigma it claims to address. There will always be children and families just outside the qualifying line. An inclusive system boosts healthy eating, eases pressure on family time and finances and ensures every child has the fuel to learn.Without it, we face an absurd situation: while every child in London gets a hot, healthy school dinner under the Mayor’s Free School Meals for All scheme, children in Manchester and the rest of England are left missing out on this school essential.As long as only some children receive free meals, they will be marked out. This is why I back the No Child Left Behind campaign, calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to go further and deliver the dinners. I’m not alone. More than 300 civil society organisations and public figures support extending Free School Meals to all primary school children; 9 in 10 parents too. We owe it to the next generation to ensure that a square meal comes hand in hand with a good education.____________________

Michelle McHale, BEM is a Trustee at Bridging the Gap (Manchester), an anti-poverty and food support organisation, and has been awarded the British Empire Medal for her services to the city during Covid.

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