Over one hundred thousand eligible disabled children are missing out on their free school meal entitlement due to their disability or sensory needs, including many in County Durham. This is despite the law being clear that most should be offered an alternative such as a supermarket voucher.
Disability charity, Contact, has calculated that over 100,000 eligible disabled children across the country are unable to access a free lunch at school in the regular way.
Children with conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy and autism are subsequently missing out on the equivalent of £570 a year of financial help. This is causing families to get into debt and turn to foodbanks.
Mary Kelly Foy MP speaks at debate in Westminster
The Westminster Hall Debate on 10 January was about fair access to free school meals for eligible disabled children.
The City of Durham MP spoke at the debate to highlight the need to provide supermarket vouchers for disabled youngsters unable to access a free lunch.
Mary Kelly Foy MP, said:
“Over 100,000 eligible disabled children are missing out on their free school lunch, which is truly shocking. Access to food is a basic human right. ”
“As a carer for my daughter Maria for 27 years I know only too well the difficulties that disabled children and their families are up against. That is why I was determined to use this parliamentary debate to highlight the experiences of those who are too often overlooked in policy-making.
“I am calling on the government to update the free school meals guidance. It must be made clear that schools and councils need to provide an alternative, ideally a supermarket voucher, to disabled children who can’t access a free school meal in the regular way.
“This is a simple fix that could make a big difference for the nearly 10% of children who are living in and attending schools in County Durham and eligible for FSM that have a SEN or EHCP.”
This article is based on a press release from the office of Mary Kelly Foy MP
