In the specific case of free school meals:

- economies of scale in feeding an entire school

- recipients of the benefit (children) and delivery mechanism (kitchens) are already at the right place and time

- can guarantee money is spent on food rather than (for example) a parents gambling addiction

- reduces stigma for poor children to have universality

- can (in theory) deliver better food using school cooking facilities

- saves time even for parents who can afford to feed children

- teaching a hungry child is an uphill battle