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Labour pledges to scrap the 'two-child limit' on free school meals

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  Published in Politics and Government on Wednesday, November 26th 2025 at 11:57 GMT by Daily Record

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Labour promises to end the “two‑child limit” on free school meals – a major policy shift from the current Conservative government

The UK’s leading opposition party has announced that it will remove the “two‑child limit” on free school meals (FSM), a policy that currently bars children in families with more than two children from receiving free lunch in state schools. The move, highlighted in a Daily Record feature that follows a series of policy announcements, is framed as a key element of Labour’s wider social‑justice agenda and a stark contrast to the Conservative‑led government’s stance on child poverty and public spending.

What is the “two‑child limit”?

Under the current system, which has been in place since 2014, families that earn below a certain threshold and have two or fewer children can qualify for FSM. Once a family has a third child, the household’s income must fall below a lower bar for any of its children to receive free meals. The policy has been widely criticised for making the eligibility process more punitive for larger families, effectively turning FSM into a “two‑child” welfare benefit rather than a blanket safety net for children in poverty.

Labour’s manifesto states that the “two‑child limit” will be scrapped entirely, allowing children in families of any size to receive free school meals provided the household meets the income threshold. The party’s policy also proposes widening the threshold itself and introducing a new “four‑child” benefit to help parents with multiple children keep more of their earnings.

Why does Labour want to change this?

Labour argues that the limit creates a “poverty trap” that disproportionately harms large families and “creates a false sense of choice for parents who must choose between sending one child to school or sending all of them.” The party frames the policy as a way to “tackle the root causes of child poverty” and to make state‑run education more inclusive.

In the Daily Record’s coverage, several Labour MPs and senior party officials explain that scrapping the limit is not only a moral stance but also an electoral calculation. With the Conservatives still holding a majority in the House of Commons, Labour sees an opportunity to galvanise support among working‑class voters, particularly in the Midlands and northern England where large families are common.

How will it fit into Labour’s broader budget and social agenda?

The article notes that Labour’s policy paper on the “Education Budget 2025” – released in conjunction with the policy announcement – proposes a 3.5 % rise in the annual FSM cap, an additional £12‑per‑child universal allowance for 2‑year‑olds, and a £200 increase in the “Child Tax Credit” for families with more than two children. Labour also calls for a “child‑friendly” spending plan that prioritises early‑years education, mental‑health services, and free primary‑school meals for all children, regardless of family size.

The Daily Record links to the UK Parliament’s full policy brief where Labour’s proposals are laid out in more detail. The brief explains that the “four‑child” benefit would be financed through a modest increase in the national living wage and a re‑allocation of existing welfare funds. The party’s manifesto further promises a “tax‑cut for low‑income families” and an increase in the “National Living Wage” to £13.85, to be introduced in 2025.

Political context and reactions

The Daily Record article quotes Conservative‑led Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as calling the policy “unrealistic” and “a costly hand‑out that will increase taxes for everyone.” In contrast, Labour leader Keir Starmer is quoted as saying that scrapping the limit will “put children back into the system and give families the support they need to get ahead.”

A number of Labour MPs, including Shadow Minister for Children and Families Nick Gibson, also highlight the impact of the two‑child limit on the NHS and local government budgets, arguing that the policy “creates unnecessary strain on community services that are already stretched thin.” The article mentions that the policy has been referenced by several charities, including the NSPCC and Save the Children, which have campaigned for universal free meals since the 1990s.

In addition to these political statements, the Daily Record includes a small section summarising data from the Department for Education (DfE) that shows that in 2023–24 there were roughly 12 million FSM applications across the UK, of which 4 million were from families with more than two children. The article explains that Labour’s plan would potentially add several hundred thousand more children to the free‑meal rolls each year.

What’s next?

The Daily Record concludes that Labour’s promise to scrapping the limit will be “a test case” for the policy in the upcoming general election. The party will need to show how the policy could be financed without raising taxes drastically, a point it hopes to address in its upcoming “National Budget” document scheduled for release in the summer of 2025.

For now, Labour’s announcement has already sparked a flurry of discussion on social media and local community forums. The policy is expected to become a central theme of the Labour campaign as the 2025 election approaches, signalling a shift away from the “two‑child” legacy that has defined British education policy for more than a decade.