Free school meals: equality impact assessment

Recommendations and Conclusion

The Equality Impact Assessment has supported understanding of issues that impact pupils, parents and carers with protected characteristics and has helped to ensure that these matters are reflected within the policy approach.

While considering protected characteristics within this policy change it was clear that they do not create additional barriers to children and young people accessing free school meals. In addition, none of these characteristics impact eligibility criteria and there are no plans to further change these criteria for free school meals. Therefore the policy is considered to be neutral overall in relation to protected characteristics.

The decision not to proceed with universal provision at this time is due to the current fiscal position, it should be noted that Ministers have made it clear that as possible. Meantime, the assessment of the equality impact has concluded that though a universal approach may extend provision to all children in primaries 6 and 7 it may not deliver the intended policy aims of eradicating child poverty and therefore a focussing on the delivery of SCP support would be more beneficial in order to achieve these policy aims within the current fiscal context.

The Scottish Government will also continue to support universal provision that has already been created from primaries 1 to 5 and provision on the basis of eligibility criteria for children and young people in primary 6 to secondary 6, therefore ensuring children in these circumstances continue to benefit.

However, the positive impacts that would have come from free school meals will not materialise for those in primaries 6 and 7 at this time. It is worth being aware that ministers have been clear in their commitment to universal free school meals and should funding be identified that work to deliver universal provision in primaries 6 and 7 would begin immediately.

The Scottish Government will now continue to work with COSLA and Local Authorities towards delivery of free school meals to those in receipt of SCP in primaries 6 and 7 during 2025.