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<p>Information on the number of individual applications made for free school meals
through schools or local authorities is not held centrally.</p><p>Universal Credit
(UC) has been introduced on a phased basis, both geographically, and to different
claimant types – initially to single claimants and couples without children, before
being made available to families. Universal Credit Full Service has been available
to all claimant types, including families, in Hartlepool, Hastings and Swindon as
follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Area</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Date
UC full service rollout completed</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Hartlepool</strong></p></td><td><p>7
December 2016</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Hastings</strong></p></td><td><p>14
December 2016</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Swindon</strong></p></td><td><p>14 December
2016</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The department collects
and publishes data on the number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free
school meals at local authority level. The number of pupils recorded as eligible and
claiming free school meals over this period is as follows:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5"><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Area</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Local
Authority Area</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>January 2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>January
2017</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>January 2018</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Hartlepool</strong></p></td><td><p>Hartlepool</p></td><td><p>3,366</p></td><td><p>3,450</p></td><td><p>3,924</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Hastings</strong></p></td><td><p>East
Sussex</p></td><td><p>8,321</p></td><td><p>8,208</p></td><td><p>8,497</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Swindon</strong></p></td><td><p>Swindon</p></td><td><p>3,958</p></td><td><p>4,006</p></td><td><p>4,176</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br>This
data includes pupils at state-funded nursery and primary schools, secondary schools,
special schools and pupil referral units and alternative provision academies and free
schools.</p><p>Further data is available on free school meals eligibility for local
authority area is available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2016"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2016</a>.</p><p><a
href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2017"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2017</a>.</p><p><a
href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2018"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2018</a>.</p><p>There
has been a general decrease in the number of children eligible for and claiming free
school meals over the last five years as the economy has improved. However, changes
to the free school meals eligibility criteria introduced on 1 April 2018 along with
the protections in place for children currently eligible for free school meals mean
we expect more pupils will be entitled to free school meals by 2022 when compared
to the previous criteria.</p><p>The total number of pupils eligible for free school
meals over the last five years is as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>
</p></td><td><p><strong>January 2014</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>January 2015</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>January
2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>January 2017</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>January
2018</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>No. pupils</strong></p></td><td><p>1,263,055</p></td><td><p>1,195,448</p></td><td><p>1,141,784</p></td><td><p>1,128,183</p></td><td><p>1,106,495</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>%
pupils</strong></p></td><td><p>16.3</p></td><td><p>15.2</p></td><td><p>14.3</p></td><td><p>14.0</p></td><td><p>13.6</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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