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The government have confirmed changes to Universal Credit that Labour and children's charities have warned could take away free school meals from over one million children

Changes to the flagship Universal Credit system will mean a child will lose their free meals when a family earns more than £7,400.

Education minister Nadhim Zahawi said around 50,000 more children will benefit from a free school meal by 2022 compared with the previous benefits system - but critics say over a million will lose out.

Labour's shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said: “It is an absolute scandal that the Conservatives are pressing ahead with a plan that could leave over a million children without a hot meal in schools.

(Image: Bloomberg)

“These plans will create a dangerous cliff-edge in the Universal Credit system and make it harder for families on low incomes to make ends meet.

“The Government should have taken this opportunity to listen to Labour’s call for all children in families receiving Universal Credit to be eligible for free school meals, but instead they have chosen to make life harder for millions of parents across the country.”it.

The free school meals measures have previously been dubbed “a huge new benefit trap” given families may be tempted to earn less money in order to qualify.

The Children’s Society fears this will mean work will not always pay and families will be better off making less.

It said a one-child family would have to earn £1,124 a year extra to make up from the meals loss and a three-child family £3,582.

(Image: PA)

In London an estimated 212,000 ­children would miss out on free school meals, 130,000 in the West Midlands, 130,000 in the North West and 37,500 in the North East.

Speaking when the policy was announced, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general ­secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Taking away free school meals for ­families on Universal Credit is an unnecessary and damaging move that will cause huge distress and problems.”

In a written statement confirming the change Mr Zahawi said: “It is right that we must continue to offer the most disadvantaged young people additional help and I am pleased that, following public consultations, we can extend free school meals and the free early education entitlement for disadvantaged two-year-olds.”

“Tens of thousands more children will be entitled to free school meals by 2022 compared to the previous benefits system.

A typical family earning around £7,400 per year would have a total household income of between £18,000 and £24,000 once benefits are taken into account, depending on their specific circumstances.

(Image: PA)

This is higher than the £16,200 earnings threshold that currently entitles pupils to free meals, but much lower than the £55,000 threshold that would have come in without the proposed changes.

The £7,400 threshold will also apply for the early years pupil premium, which gives additional funding to early years settings to boost the attainment of pupils from low income families.

The Government is also introducing a net earnings threshold of £15,400 per year under Universal Credit for eligibility for the 15-hour free early education entitlement for disadvantaged two-year-olds.