Free school meals

The new eligibility criteria for free school meals will be come in to affect from the 1st September 2026. You will be able to claim free school meals for your child if you receive one of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• are in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• receive the guarantee element of Pension Credit
• meet criteria set out in separate guidance for families with no recourse to public funds.

Universal Credit eligibility changes

From the 01/09/2026 FSM eligibility is expanding to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit regardless of household earnings. There will be 2 categories of eligibility for families in receipt of Universal Credit. The 2 categories Targeted and Expanded Eligible.

Universal Credit targeted FSM eligibility

Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less (the existing threshold for FSM prior to the expansion), will be eligible for targeted FSM. In addition to receiving free meals, pupils eligible for targeted FSM will attract pupil premium and other disadvantage funding for their schools. Other education entitlements that have previously been linked to eligibility for FSM, such as the Holiday Activities and Food program (HAF) and the ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance, will also continue to be based on targeted FSM.

Universal Credit expanded FSM eligibility

Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit, with annual household earnings exceeding £7,400 will be entitled to expanded FSM (meals only).

Annual checks

Protection of free school meals eligibility will end on 31/08/2026, this means that your child / children could fall out of eligibility. Your child / children's school would carry out a re-check automatically. Please contact your child / children's schools about their policy on re-checking free school meal applicaions as a minimum, re-checks should be carried out annually; this could be more frequently, depending on your child's school's free school meals policies. If a re-check is not carried out on or before the end of the free school meals eligibility period, your child will not receive free school meals. 

Universal Credit recipients can determine the amount of income from employment recorded on their claim by referring to the deductions section of their Universal Credit statements. An "earnings reported by your employer" amount will be recorded if appropriate.