Free school meals (FSM) is an educational entitlement, and intended to support children while they are at school. Pupils do not receive FSM when they are not receiving education, including during the school holidays.
The department is funding over £200 million per year in the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, which provides food and activities for disadvantaged children in England for four weeks over summer and one week each at Christmas and Easter. The Programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and education.
For those who require extra support, the government is providing an additional £1 billion of funding, including Barnett impact, to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England in the next financial year. This is on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing total funding to £2.5 billion. In England this will be delivered through an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £842 million, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, which local authorities use to help households with the cost of essentials.
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