Oxford News
All parents on Universal Credit to get free school meals
The Department for Education has confirmed that from the start of the 2026/27 school year, every child whose household receives Universal Credit will be entitled to a free school meal, regardless of how much their parents earn.
The expansion, introduced through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, removes the long-standing £7,400 earnings threshold for many families and is expected to significantly increase the number of children receiving free lunches at school.
However, while more children will qualify for free meals, some other forms of support will remain available only to lower-income families.
Who will qualify for expanded free school meals?
From September, children attending maintained schools, academies, free schools and eligible nursery settings will qualify for free school meals if their household receives:
- Universal Credit
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Eligible support for some families with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)
The biggest change is that all Universal Credit households will now qualify, even if earnings exceed the current £7,400 annual threshold.
Two different types of free school meals
The government is introducing two separate categories.
Targeted free school meals will continue for children in Universal Credit households earning £7,400 a year or less, as well as certain other qualifying benefit recipients.
These children will still attract additional funding for their school through the Pupil Premium, remain part of the Ever 6 cohort and continue to qualify for schemes such as the Holiday Activities and Food programme and some school transport support.
Meanwhile, a new category called Expanded Free School Meals will cover children in Universal Credit households earning above £7,400.
These pupils will receive free lunches but will not qualify for the additional funding linked to targeted free school meals.
The Department for Education has also confirmed that transitional protections introduced in 2018 will end before the new school year.
Those protections allowed children to keep receiving free school meals even if their family’s circumstances changed.
From September, schools will carry out annual eligibility checks to confirm families still meet the qualifying criteria.
The guidance says: “From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, transitional protections for free school meals will end. Households must meet the FSM eligibility criteria from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year to continue receiving provision.”
Schools preparing for surge in demand
Schools are now being told to prepare for a sharp rise in the number of pupils taking school meals.
The Department for Education is encouraging schools to estimate:
- How many extra children will become eligible
- How many additional meals will need to be served
- Whether families currently using nursery provision intend to take up the offer
Schools are also being encouraged to start promoting the new entitlement and accept applications as early as possible.
Parents will still need to apply
Despite the wider eligibility rules, families will not receive free school meals automatically.
Parents, carers or another responsible adult must still submit an application so schools can verify eligibility using the Department for Education’s digital checking system.
The guidance states: “To receive FSM, a claim must be made for this support by a pupil, their parent, or another responsible adult, as a condition of eligibility.”
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Even if children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 already receive Universal Infant Free School Meals, parents are still being urged to apply if they qualify under the benefits-based system.
That’s because schools receive additional funding for eligible pupils through the Pupil Premium where children qualify for targeted free school meals.
The Department for Education is also introducing a new Free School Meals Expansion Grant to help schools meet the extra costs created by the larger number of eligible pupils.