Starting from next month, the guidelines over free school meals will change.

But the Tories are facing a backlash from parents as the changes mean around 1 million children will lose their free school dinner.

The Government have hit back at Labour's accusations that the changes, from April 1, will 'pull the rug' from under poor children, branding it mere 'scaremongering.

Currently all families on Universal Credit can claim free school meals - a transitional measure to help people move to the six-in-one benefit, reports our sister paper The Mirror.

But as of next month, children in Year 3 and above on Universal Credit in England will not normally be eligible if their parents earn more than £7,400.

The Children's Society has said the "huge step backwards" means "one million children in poverty who could benefit now won’t".

And the GMB union says the 'cruel school dinner cap' will leave thousands of families with the choice of cutting their hours or their children's meals.

That is because the £7,400 threshold is a 'cliff edge' - Earn £7,399 and your child gets free meals all year. Earn £7,401 and they get nothing.

But Education Secretary Damian Hinds said the government never intended to give every child on Universal Credit a free hot meal, and doing so would cost more than £3 billion a year extra by 2022, he said.

The Government stresses that by 2022, it expects 50,000 more children to have free school meals than under the previous benefits system.

So will it affect your children?

Here's the policy explained courtesy of Mirror Online .

What has changed?

Currently all families on Universal Credit can claim free school meals.

This offer was designed as a transitional measure, to help people as they move to the six-in-one benefit.

It's more generous than for the rest of the population, who get guaranteed free meals only in infant school - Year 1 and Year 2.

But now, under a new law, children in Year 3 and above on Universal Credit in England will NOT normally be eligible if their parents earn more than £7,400 in a year.

When does it take effect?

The change takes effect on April 1, 2018.

It was passed in a House of Commons vote this week, by Tory and DUP MPs, which is why everyone is talking about it.

Will my child lose their free school lunch?

The short answer is no!

If you're already on Universal Credit, your child's free lunches won't disappear on April 1, no matter what you earn.

But the long answer is more complicated...Here's a breakdown.

If you are ALREADY on Universal Credit

If you are already on Universal Credit, your child is entitled to free school meals no matter what - for now.

That will not change after the policy comes into effect on April 1, even if your earnings tip over the £7,400 threshold.

Instead your child will be will be protected until March 31 2022 or "the end of their phase of education", whichever is later.

So if they're in primary school they're covered to the end of Year 6, and if they're in secondary school they're covered to the end of Year 11.

This is for children already in school. If you have a baby now, they won't be guaranteed a free school meal because they won't have signed up by 2022.

If you're moving to Universal Credit in FUTURE

If you aren't on Universal Credit yet, but are moving to it in the future, you are affected.

If you earn more than £7,400 a year: Your child will NOT be eligible for free school meals.

If you earn less than £7,400 a year: Your child WILL be eligible for free school meals.

If you're under the £7,400 threshold now, but then tip over it later by getting a better-paid job, your child will remain eligible until March 31, 2022 or the end of their "phase of education", whichever is later.

Why is March 31, 2022 so important?

March 31, 2022 is when a lot of exemptions end because it's when Universal Credit will finish being rolled out across the country.

If you move OFF Universal Credit entirely

When writing this guide, the Mirror couldn't find any firm details about what happens if you stop claiming Universal Credit entirely.

However, the protections above apply explicitly to people who are hit by the new law - in other words, people on Universal Credit but whose earnings are above £7,400.

The law is all about people on Universal Credit. If you leave a benefit, you tend to leave entitlement to things associated with that benefit.

How will your earnings be calculated?

The £7,400 refers specifically to net earned income - so the amount you take from jobs, investments etc (NOT benefits) in a year.

The government says a family earning £7,400 but still on Universal Credit could be taking home a total of £18,000 to £24,000.

There will be monthly checks on people's incomes, verified from "the most recent Universal Credit assessment period."

If this can't be done, it will be based on data from the previous two or three assessment periods.

Guidance will be given to schools and councils on how to conduct eligibility checks.

The income threshold within one assessment period (a month) is £616.67