Changes to free school meals

From September 2026 the Department for Education is introducing new benefit criteria which will mean that all children from households in receipt of universal credit will be entitled to receive a free school meal.

At the same time, the transitional protections that have been in place since 1 April 2018 are ending. If your child currently receives a free school meal because they've been protected under the transitional protection rules, but you no longer receive universal credit, their entitlement will end in August 2026. 

From September 2026 onwards, all households must meet the eligibility criteria to be entitled to benefits-related free school meals.

From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, there will be two categories of benefits-based free school meals, known as ‘targeted FSM’ or ‘expanded FSM’:

Targeted FSM

  • Continues to be based on the existing threshold, covering pupils who are in households in receipt of universal credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Households may also be entitled to a meal if they:

  • Are in receipt of income-related employment and support allowance
  • Receive the guaranteed element of pension credit
  • Meet criteria set out in separate guidance for families with no recourse to public funds

Only pupils eligible for targeted FSM will be counted towards the following:

  • FSM6 cohort (that is pupils who are, or have been, recorded as eligible for FSM at any point in the last six years). The FSM6 cohort is used for accountability, Pupil Premium funding and deprivation funding in the national funding formula (NFF)
  • To determine eligibility for home to school transport (HTST), and:
  • The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme

Expanded FSM

A new category covering meals only, for pupils who don't qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving universal credit.

It's too soon to apply for expanded free school meals from September at the moment. Further details will be shown on our website and circulated through schools when the application process starts.