A £95 million initiative will give children in Primary 1- Primary 3 a free school meal from the start of 2015.
The new initiative, which was launched by First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon is expected to save Scottish families around £330 a year. The new legislation covers 135,000 children and is aimed to benefit pupils and families alike.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon praised the move saying: "The cost is £70.5 million in revenue terms over the next two years and we have also made just short of £25 million available to local authorities in capital to enable them to make changes to their dining room facilities and such like."
She added: "By removing the stigma created by means testing you increase uptake among children from the poorest families."
"We also know there is a significant increase in child poverty among families who are not on benefits, are in work but are struggling to make ends meet."
The move, which received praise from poverty groups and campaigners, has been criticised by some stating that it only benefits middle class and wealthier families due to the fact that under current government policy, poorer children receive free school meals already, and by providing all with meals, further stretch council resources. The Educational Institute of Scotland stated that despite the new policy from the Scottish government, there was no reference to further funding the projects through council budgets passed the two year proposal.
Although the government is giving councils money to support the project, the capital provided is not ring fenced, meaning that it does not necessarily have to be spent on the meals project.
Scottish Labour Finance Secretary Iain Gray said that it would be the wealthier in society celebrating at the expense of those most in need of financial support.
He said: “Free school meals are a good thing in general, but whilst local authority education budgets face tight financial pressures it is important to note that there is no such thing as a free lunch.
"It will be those most in need that pay the price in cuts to local authority services and increased charges for things like care for people with disabilities."
Despite the criticism for the bill, the First Minister stated that free school meals on a universal basis was “the right thing to do”.
Although cashless payment and other methods have been brought in to remove any stigma to those receiving a free meal, the universal meal has been praised by supporters.
The latest move by the SNP government follows other popular universal decisions such as a free prescription.
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