Former One Direction superstar Zayn Malik has urged Rishi Sunak to offer free school meals to hundreds of thousands more needy children.
The 29-year-old, who relied on free dinners growing up in Bradford, West Yorkshire, issued a plea to the Prime Minister to widen the scheme in next week's Autumn Statement.
Around 800,000 kids living in poverty in England miss out free school lunches due to strict eligibility rules, according to research by the Child Poverty Action Group.
The Mirror and the National Education Union are campaigning for free school meals for all primary school pupils in England.
In a heartfelt letter, Zayn said he hoped no child ever again had to experience the "hunger and stigma" he felt as a kid.
He told the PM: "These children are suffering from lack of concentration, some even resorting to stealing food from school canteens because they are so hungry but can’t afford to buy lunch.
"They are also feeling shame which is directly impacting their physical and mental health. I know what that shame feels like, I have seen it first-hand, as growing up in Bradford, I relied on Free School Meals.
"I personally experienced the stigma surrounding food insecurity.
"My hope is that in writing this letter we can all ensure that no child ever has to experience this hunger and stigma again as my experience is not unique; it is a struggle that many children in England are sadly going through right now."
The singer urged the PM to widen the scheme to all households receiving Universal Credit to stop parents having to make "impossible decisions like whether to buy food, turn on the heating, or go into debt."
Addressing Mr Sunak, Zayn said: "As Prime Minister, you have the power to change this.
"Please act in good conscience and commit in your Budget on 17th November to giving all children living in poverty a free school meal.
"Children going hungry is not inevitable and should not come down to a political issue or ideology."
The cost of living crisis has already fuelled calls for the Government to act, with support from TV chef Jamie OIiver, the Government's former food tsar Henry Dimbleby, doctors, teachers and anti-hunger campaigners.
Footballer Marcus Rashford, who shamed Boris Johnson into feeding hungry kids during the holidays in the pandemic, also campaigned for wider eligibility.
Recent research found expanding the free school meals scheme could pump up to £41.3bn into the economy over 20 years.
All children in England can get free school meals up to the end of Year 2 but after that it only applies to households on certain benefits.
Pupils living in Universal Credit families are eligible if their parents earn less than £7,400-a-year from work.
Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation, which is campaigning on the issue, said: "Zayn’s music has touched the lives of many millions of people. We are delighted he has taken this initiative.
"His own experiences as a child will resonate with many young people in Britain today whose voices go unheard."
A Government spokesperson said: “We have expanded access to free school meals more than any other Government in recent decades, which currently reach 1.9 million children.
"We are also investing up to £24m in our National School Breakfast Programme, which provides free breakfasts to children in schools in disadvantaged areas.
“In addition, eight million of the most vulnerable households will get at least £1,200 of cost-of-living support this year on top of benefit from the Energy Price Guarantee - meaning they will be eligible for support which exceeds the average rise in energy bills by hundreds of pounds.”
Read the letter in full
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to share my concern about the struggles children are living through because of the cost of-living crisis and to ask for your help to ensure no child living in poverty misses out on a hot nutritious meal at school especially since that school meal maybe the only hot meal they receive all day.
We are all aware that the difficulties facing families right now are profoundly serious. Four million children live in households who experienced food poverty in September 2022 according to research by The Food Foundation. In addition, 800,000 children in England miss out on a Free School Meal even though they are living in poverty.
These children are suffering from lack of concentration, some even resorting to stealing food from school canteens because they are so hungry but can’t afford to buy lunch. They are also feeling shame which is directly impacting their physical and mental health.
I know what that shame feels like, I have seen it first-hand, as growing up in Bradford, I relied on Free School Meals. I personally experienced the stigma surrounding food insecurity. My hope is that inwriting this letter we can all ensure that no child ever has to experience this hunger and stigma again as my experience is not unique; it is a struggle that many children in England are sadly going through right now.
As I see it, extending the current threshold and giving Free School Meals to children from families on Universal Credit would be the best way to reach those who need it most. This would stop children from enduring the worst of the cost-of-living crisis which in turn only creates bigger divides between the richest and poorest.
Free School Meals are such a big help for the poorest children in our society and they guarantee a reliably hot, nutritious lunch every day at school, so children can thrive rather than worrying about where their next meal comes from.
I hope the government does what’s right and makes the changes that are needed. Parents are already doing everything they can, but Government support is desperately needed. No parent should have to make impossible decisions like whether to buy food, turn on the heating, or go into debt. Knowing that their children are getting a good lunch at school would be a huge relief to parents who are struggling.
These pressures will only get worse as food and energy prices keep rising. As Prime Minister, you have the power to change this. Please act in good conscience and commit in your Budget on 17th November to giving all children living in poverty a Free School Meal.
Children going hungry is not inevitable and should not come down to a political issue or ideology.
Yours Sincerely,
Zayn Malik
