Conservative plans will take lunches away from 34,532 children in HERTS
34,532 schoolchildren in Hertfordshire will lose out on free lunches, under plans announced in the Conservative manifesto.
Free school lunches for pupils from reception to Year 2 were introduced by the Liberal Democrats in government, but Theresa May now plans to scrap them. The changes would cost families an average extra £480 a year for every child.
The Liberal Democrats have called on Conservative candidate Charles Walker to make it clear whether or not he would vote for the plans.
The Conservatives are also proposing to make older people pay for social care costs from the value of their own homes when they die. This means on average, families in Broxbourne would expect to see 71.90% of the value of their home spent on care costs.
Liberal Democrat Andy Graham commented:
"This Conservative manifesto shows the nasty party is back.
"Margaret Thatcher was known as the milk snatcher, it seems Theresa May will go down as the lunch snatcher.
"She is cynically snatching meals away from thousands of children in Hertfordshire, while the elderly receiving care in their own home will face a 'Personal Death Tax' charged against their home.
"Charles Walker must now come clean over whether he will vote to take away free lunches from the children of hard-pressed families.
"The Liberal Democrats will offer a brighter future by extending free school meals to all primary schools.
"We will stand up to Theresa May's cold, mean-spirited Britain, protecting those that need the most help and fighting for more funding for our schools and hospitals."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Figures on the number of children per school and local authority benefiting from universal infant free school meals can be found here. Universal free school meals for infant pupils (up to Year 2) were introduced by the Liberal Democrats in coalition government. Currently the government subsidises lunches for infants by £2.30 - these changes will mean removing £480 subsidy per child, per year.
Under Conservative proposals, for the first time, many people who receive care at home will have their home taken into account, to meet the costs when they die. This will apply to the almost half a million people who receive domiciliary care in the UK. Figures on the share of the average family home expected to be spent on social care costs can be found here, based on calculations provided by Royal London
Letter on Free School Meals
I would like to publicly ask the Conservative candidate at this election Charles Walker if they will vote in favour of denying kids in reception, year one and year two a hot school lunch if they are elected to the House of Commons on June 8th or if they will commit to the Liberal Democrat plan to extend free school meals to all kids at primary school?
The Conservative manifesto shows the nasty party is back. Theresa May wants to take away free school meals from kids in reception, year one and year two even though all the evidence shows that it helps kids academically.
Theresa May has made the wrong choice. By cruelly snatching away these hot meals tens of thousands of kids in Hertfordshire will lose out, and it will cost families £480 a year per kid. For a family with 2 kids that's almost £1,000 a year, a betrayal of working families and breaks the promise they made only two years ago at the last election.
There is of course another way. A different choice. My party, the Liberal Democrats would introduce free school meals for all primary school children, so that the benefits to kids' education currently limited to infants can be extended to all. That is a much better choice.
Liberal Democrats want to give all children a brighter future in a fairer Britain where people are decent to each other.