Number of UK children in food poverty nearly doubles in a year to 4m

theguardian.com:

The number of UK children in food poverty has nearly doubled in the last year to almost 4 million, new data shows, ramping up pressure on ministers to expand the provision of free school meals to struggling families.

According to the Food Foundation thinktank, one in five (22%) of households reported skipping meals, going hungry or not eating for a whole day in January, up from 12% at the equivalent point in 2022.

The increase in food insecurity comes as separate polling by the foundation showed increased backing for expanding free school meals in England. Eight out of 10 people (80%) polled said they favoured extending free school meal eligibility to all children in households receiving universal credit, up from 72% in October.

Public support is as strong in Surrey as it is in deprived northern “red wall” areas, the polling suggests, with 82% of people in favour in the South West Surrey constituency of the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and 81% in the Stockton South seat of Tory party vice-chair Matt Vickers in the north-east of England.

The foundation’s chief executive, Anna Taylor, said the latest data revealed big holes in the government’s safety net. “By extending free school meals to more children in England in the next budget, the government could deliver a policy change that is popular with voters, targeted and timely, and truly delivers on levelling up.”

There has been renewed political interest in widening eligibility for free school meals as a way of mitigating the cost of living crisis for low-income families. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, last month announced all primary school pupils in the capital would be offered free lunches for a year from September.

The London boroughs of Islington, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets