Free school meals for all, no matter their parents’ immigration status

We all agree that no child should go hungry. That’s why we’ve been calling on the Government to make sure that there are free school meals for all the children that need them, no matter their parent’s immigration status.

We helped to get a win on 24 March 2022 - now all families affected by No Recourse to Public Funds can access Free School Meals. It's great news - read all about it here.

While this is a great step forward, we need clarity on whether this move includes those with insecure immigration status, and if it doesn't we'll need to take more action - either way, we'll need you on board for the next steps.

As the No Recourse to Public Funds Action Group said: "We are not resting on our laurels, there are more battles to fight."

Please sign up to join the campaign to get No Recourse to Public Funds scrapped and make sure everyone has access to a safety net.

What our campaign was calling for

For what crime are children hungry? 

Imagine one child in a low-income family getting a meal, whilst their classmate doesn’t, just because of their parents’ immigration status. But that’s the harsh reality that was facing families this year.  

Many migrant families are affected by the Government’s ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ policy, which means they’re denied access to almost all government support, even if they’re working for low pay or facing a crisis. This hurts children, because it stops them getting support that’s meant to protect them from poverty, including things like free school meals. 

It took a global pandemic for the Government to finally agree to give some of these children access to meals already available to so many others. But the uncertainty of whether this would continue weighed heavy. That’s why, working with the NRPF Action Group, we launched a campaign calling on Secretary of State for Education Nadhim Zahawi to make this temporary extension permanent.

A huge win

We were thrilled to read the announcement on 24 March 2022 that not only was the extension was being made permanent, it was also being extended to all families affected by NRPF.

It’s an incredible win and the result of tireless campaigning for years from numerous organisations, but there’s still more work to do. Sign up to our emails to find out what’s next, and to stay up to date with our future work and campaigns.

The No Recourse to Public Funds Action Group

This campaign is led by the NRPF Action Group, a group of migrants with lived experienced of hostile immigration policies fighting for equality, justice and fairness for all.