Teaching organisations have asked the prime minister for free school meals to be given to children in households on universal credit. Jamie Oliver said the rule change would help 800,000 of the ‘most vulnerable’ children. However the call comes as government departments prepare for spending cuts, saying they had already expanded access to free school meals more than any other government in recent decades. A letter signed by leaders of 12 unions representing a million teaching staff, governors and school trustees across the UK warns the prime minister, the chancellor and the education secretary that ‘hunger is a real issue in our schools, too many families are struggling to afford school meals. Families receiving universal credit, or any equivalent benefit should be eligible as an immediate first step. Not doing so would undermine all the education workforce efforts to tackle inequalities’.