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Tens of thousands of children living below the poverty line in some of the wealthiest parts of England's home counties may be unable to afford a proper lunch but fail to qualify for free school meals, according to a study by the Children's Society.
The charity urged the government to extend free school meals eligibility to more low-earning families, who may be in full-time jobs but struggle to get by.
Its report found that this "hidden" poverty, which was particularly concentrated in leafy areas of Sussex, Surrey, Essex and Buckinghamshire as well as London suburbs, may reflect the higher prevalence in those areas of low-income working families who are ineligible for free meals, worth an average ?370 a year for each child.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/07/children-ineligible-free-school-meals-poverty
The charity urged the government to extend free school meals eligibility to more low-earning families, who may be in full-time jobs but struggle to get by.
Its report found that this "hidden" poverty, which was particularly concentrated in leafy areas of Sussex, Surrey, Essex and Buckinghamshire as well as London suburbs, may reflect the higher prevalence in those areas of low-income working families who are ineligible for free meals, worth an average ?370 a year for each child.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/07/children-ineligible-free-school-meals-poverty