CLAIMS by a charity that thousands of children will be denied free school meals across Cheshire are misinformed, says MP Esther McVey.

The Tatton MP and Work and Pensions Secretary said numbers of children receiving free school meals would actually increase under the Government changes.

Responding to the Department for Education’s announcement on free school meals under Universal Credit, Clare Bracey, director of campaigns at The Children’s Society, said: “We are deeply disappointed that the Government has decided to press ahead with plans that will see one million children in poverty miss out on free school meals under Universal Credit.

“This will disadvantage poor children from working families and mean some parents will be better off taking a pay cut.”

Ms McVey said that charities and campaigners were claiming that welfare reforms meant that up to a million children nationwide would be denied eligibility for free lunches, including 16,500 in Cheshire.

She said: “No child who currently receives meals will have them stopped. This is nothing more than scaremongering.

“Under the changes we will have a fairly targeted system to ensure more children benefit from free school meals.

“Claims by the Children’s Society’s campaign are misinformed. Nobody currently receiving free school meals will lose their entitlement when moving onto Universal Credit.

“Rather, the Government estimates that by 2022, around 50,000 more children will benefit from free school meals compared to the previous benefits system.”

During the start of Universal Credit rollout any family in receipt of any payment was eligible for free school meals, she said, adding that

subsequent changes to the scheme would see children qualify if their parents earned less than £7,400, which with Universal Credit benefit meant their household income was £18,000 to 24,000.

Ms McVey added: “We have exempted all children who are currently in an area where Universal Credit has been rolled out and gets a meal. They will not be subjected to changes and therefore no child will lose meals due to the change.”