Are free school meals availble during summer holidays? Help available in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

School across the UK will soon be breaking up for the summer holidays.

While this might be an exciting time as children look forward to six weeks of adventures and making memories. For many it might prove much more challenging as they worry about how they will feed their kids during the break.

Nearly one in four pupils at state schools are now eligible for free school meals. In previous years, support has been extended by the government - after pressure from campaigners - during holidays.

But what can you expect during the six weeks holiday? Here's all you need to know:

Are free school meals available over the summer holidays?

The government is not directly offering free school meals over the summer, instead there are programmes which can help provide support for low income families during the break.

A number of councils are also offering vouchers or meals during the upcoming break from schools.

If you are eligible for free school meals for your children, you can also take part in the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) - which provides the equivalent of six weeks’ holiday provision to eligible children throughout the year.

Over the summer this includes:

• for local authorities that have a summer holiday that spans 6 full calendar weeks, participating children should be offered at least 4 weeks of face-to-face provision, which cover a minimum of 16 days
• for local authorities that have a summer holiday that is less than 6 full calendar weeks, participating children should be offered at least 3 weeks of face-to-face provision, which should cover a minimum of 12 days
• if only 3 weeks are offered at summer, then these local authorities, are expected to offer an additional week during a half-term holiday period, so that their overall provision reaches 6 weeks across the year

MoneySavingExpert reports that children aged 4+ should at least receive one meal per day and access to enriching activities. However the exact offering varies by council.

Check with your local authority in England to see what support is available during the summer holidays.

What help is available in Scotland?

Support will be available for eligible low-income families in Scotland during the summer break. The offerings differ depending on where you are in the country - but can include vouchers or food parcels.

For more information visit Scottish Government's website.

Free school meal support in Wales during summer holiday?

Some councils in Wales have announced plans to fund free school meal vouchers for during the summer break - it comes as the Welsh government axed support, citing a lack of money to continue the scheme.

The participating councils include: Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Powys.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has said that support will be providing help over the holidays, including Welsh Rugby Union.

What support is offered in Northern Ireland?

MoneySavingExpert reports that Northern Ireland's school holiday grant ended on 31 March this year and is not available during the summer holidays. Free school meals are not expected to be offered over the break.

How many children get free school meals in England?

Nearly one in four pupils at state schools in England is now eligible for free school meals, new figures show. Currently, households in the country receiving universal credit must earn below £7,400 a year before benefits and after tax to qualify for free school meals.

Eligibility for free school meals stood at 23.8% of all pupils in January this year, the equivalent of two million children – up from 22.5%, or 1.9 million, in January 2022. A school leaders’ union said the numbers should “serve as a wake-up call about the appallingly high levels of childhood poverty in England”.

The figure has increased every year since January 2018, when it stood at 13.6% or 1.1 million, according to data published by the Department for Education (DfE).

Children in state-funded schools in England can receive free meals if a parent or carer is receiving one of a number of benefits, including Universal Credit, child tax credits or income support. Free meals can also be available to households unable to claim benefits but which meet certain criteria, such as children of work visa holders or families holding a British National Overseas passport who have moved to the UK from Hong Kong.