Free School Meals Expand to All Universal Credit Families From September
From September 2026, all children in households receiving Universal Credit become eligible for free school meals—removing the previous £7,400 income cap. Over 500,000 more pupils will gain access, saving families up to £495 per child yearly.
What's changing
From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, free school meals (FSM) eligibility is expanding to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit regardless of household earnings. This is a significant shift from the existing system.
Going forward, there will be 2 categories of benefits-based free school meals: Targeted FSM, which continues to be based on the existing threshold, covering pupils in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less, and Expanded FSM, a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM but who are in households receiving Universal Credit.
The impact on families
If your household receives Universal Credit, you could save up to £495 per year per child on school lunches. The unprecedented expansion will lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty.
Schools are expected to allow parents to apply before the start of the school year 2026, by providing their National Insurance Number to check their eligibility. However, while eligibility will be automatically granted to all Universal Credit recipients, families will still need to actually apply to receive the benefit.
If you are a parent on Universal Credit and your child attends a state-funded school in England, you should verify eligibility with your child's school by late August 2026. Schools will handle the application process, but you'll need to provide your National Insurance Number to confirm your household's Universal Credit status. This change is automatic for Universal Credit recipients—no need to meet an income threshold anymore.
Sources
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