Protection of free school meal eligibility
Eligible for benefit related free school meals from 1 April 2018
To support the rollout of Universal Credit the government introduced the ‘transitional protection’ scheme from 1 April 2018. Under this scheme, if your child was eligible for benefit related free school meals at any point from 1 April 2018, then your child’s benefit related free school meal eligibility will be protected until the end of August 2026. And you will need to recheck your child’s eligibility for benefit related free school meals in September 2026.
Eligible due to receipt of Pension Credits or Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
If you are eligible due to receipt of Pension Credits or Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, your eligibility is not protected as per Government guidelines, you will need to make a new application every year.