AQW 8028/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 04/03/2024
Answered On Date: 20/03/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education whether he will change the eligibility criteria for (i) Free School Meals; and (ii) the Uniform Grant to reflect child poverty measures.

Answer:

My Department is continuing to progress a review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals and uniform grants. The options being considered as part of this review include those that raise the income thresholds that applies to some of the benefits-based eligibility criteria. Any such a rise would enable more families on lower incomes to access free school meals and uniform grants.

Ahead of any decisions being taken on changes to the eligibility criteria, a full public consultation on the options and associated impact assessments will need to be undertaken and I would plan to do this as soon as possible.

However, a key issue in this review that we cannot simply ignore is affordability. The Department of Education is facing significant funding pressures and struggling to support existing key services. There are potentially significant budgetary implications of increasing the number of children eligible for free school meals and I will need to take these implications into account before taking any final decision.