Free school meal expansion in England will benefit fewer than claimed, IFS says

With data showing one in four pupils already get free lunches, institute says short-term benefits over-estimated

The expansion of free school meals will initially benefit far fewer children in England than claimed, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, as data shows more than one in four at state schools already receive free lunches.

The figures from the Department for Education's annual school census show that 25.7% of all pupils now receive free school meals (FSM), up by more than a percentage point compared with last year and nearly double the 13.6% in 2017.