“This is great news – and something we’ve long campaigned for. It will ease cost pressures on many struggling families and ensure that more children are assured of a good, nutritious meal. That, in turn, has an educational benefit as they are then more likely to be in a good condition to learn.
“There’s some detail to be worked through on exactly how this transition will work and we look forward to talking with the government about that. But, certainly, expanding free school meal eligibility in this way is absolutely the right thing to do.
“It is really good to see such a positive statement from the government on tackling the scourge of child poverty. There is much more to be done – but this is a welcome step forward.”