Free School Meals (Automatic Registration of Eligible Children) Bill

This bill aims to automatically register eligible children for free school meals, rather than requiring parents to apply manually. Currently, eligible families must complete application forms to access free meals, which creates a barrier that means some entitled children miss out. The bill would use existing government data to identify eligible children and enroll them automatically, ensuring uptake of the entitlement without parental bureaucracy. This would expand access to free meals for children from lowincome households across England.