What do the CMS changes mean for me?
26th Jun 2025
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Gingerbread’s comment on the government’s expansion of free school meals in England
Posted 5 June 2025
The government's announcement (Wednesday 4 June 2025) about the expansion of free school meals will come as welcome news to many single parents who are struggling to make ends meet on a single income.
Children in single-parent households are almost twice as likely to experience poverty compared to those in couple households. Yet many of these families currently miss out on free school meals because the income limit is too low.
The decision to expand access to free school meals from September 2026 is a positive step and we hope is a sign that the government’s forthcoming child poverty strategy - expected later this year - will include the bold and necessary actions to create meaningful change.
To truly make a difference for single-parent families, the child poverty strategy should include the removal of the two-child limit, comprehensive reform of Universal Credit, significant improvements to the child maintenance system (CMS) and increased support for affordable childcare.
The government’s announcement (Wednesday 4 June 2025) about the expansion of free school meals in England will come as welcome news to many single parents who are struggling to make ends meet on a single income.
Children in single-parent households are almost twice as likely to experience poverty compared to those in couple households. Yet many of these families currently miss out on free school meals because the income limit is too low.
The decision to expand access to free school meals from September 2026 is a positive step and we hope is a sign that the government’s forthcoming child poverty strategy – expected later this year – will include the bold and necessary actions to create meaningful change.
To truly make a difference for single-parent families, the child poverty strategy should include the removal of the two-child limit, comprehensive reform of Universal Credit, significant improvements to the child maintenance system (CMS) and increased support for affordable childcare.