PM's shake-up will extend the benefit to children of all parents on Universal Credit

ALMOST 25,000 children are expected to become eligible for free school meals in Stoke-on-Trent from next year after an expansion of eligibility rules.

- Sentinel Reporter

Extending the lifeline benefit to all children in families who get Universal Credit (UC) in England, could save parents up to £500 a year.

Currently, all children in England can get free school meals until the end of Year 2, but after that, they only qualify if their family earns less than £7,400 a year after benefits.