The Mayor of London is still assessing how the government鈥檚 expansion of free school meals could create savings for his own scheme, which offers lunches to all primary pupils, as he faces an 鈥渦nprecedented level of uncertainty鈥� in his budget. Exclusive analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows the Greater London Authority could save a third of its total expenditure on Sadiq Khan鈥檚 universal primary free school meals scheme, which has been in place since 2023. It was initially planned as a 鈥渙ne off鈥� emergency measure paid largely through business rate receipts. Draft budget documents for 2026-27 have dedicated 拢148m for the scheme, representing more than a third of the total mayor鈥檚 budget. This would run from the start of the 2026-27 academic year. However in June this year, the government announced it would remove a cap and extend free school meal eligibility across England to all children whose families claim universal credit from that same year, benefiting half a million more children. But the mayor鈥檚 staff told the GLA鈥檚 budget and performance committee in November that they were still assessing how the move would affect their budget. The committee wrote to Khan following the meeting: 鈥淭his announcement was made over four months ago, so this committee was disappointed to hear the financial impact had not yet been assessed鈥�. Documents said the mayor鈥檚 budget is facing an 鈥渦nprecedented level of uncertainty鈥�, with a 拢19.2 million funding gap. Government policy could save London 拢50m According to analysis , the mayor鈥檚 budget pays for an additional 265,000 key stage 2 pupils who would otherwise not be eligible due to means testing to receive free school meals. Between 75,000 and 100,000 pupils in the capital would become eligible for the government鈥檚 expanded means-tested scheme from September 2026, the IFS said. This would represent a saving of between 拢40m and 拢50m 鈥� a third of the mayor鈥檚 spending on free school meals. Chair of the budget and performance committee Neil Garratt said it was 鈥渃oncerning that the funding details are yet to be finalised, given the need to balance budgets鈥�. Money saved 鈥渃ould help fill budget gaps across the mayoral budgets, including funding the vital modern firefighting training programme at the London Fire Brigade, or investment into Met staffing costs鈥�, Garratt said. A spokesperson said the mayor 鈥渉as been very clear that funding for his historic programme will remain in place for as long as he is mayor鈥�. They added the government鈥檚 funding will be considered at the next stage of the budget in January.