I personally don't think they need to be free for all, other than perhaps to simplify the process and remove administration issues (keeping track of who is and isn't entitled at a school level). On the other hand, the supposed means testing currently is bull**** from what I can see... It is essentially only available to families who are not in work or only in a small amount of part time work, it is not available to families who are in work but on low income... Whose overall household budget is probably the same as or lower than families out of work (due to things like travel costs and crippling private rents, etc.)
It needs to be heavily adjusted upwards and be based on overall household income, NOT something so arbitrary as receiving full Child Tax Credits but no Working Tax Credits (this is how it currently works).
But then to go back to what I said earlier, to be totally honest the quality of school meals is still poor. Despite all of the action that's been going on around them for years. My eldest is still 7 so paying for them isn't an issue yet (all kids get them free until age 7) but next year... I just refuse on principle. The food they give them is simply not £2 a day worth of food. Cheap, bought in bulk, cooked in bulk, nutritionally void crap. Most of the kids barely touch it anyway, a couple of bites and then straight to play... They don't want to "waste" their lunch time actually eating
. Will be back to packed lunches for Little Ms Soldier.