Published 29 October 2026
From the start of the 2026/27 school year, free school meals reach more families in England and Wales. Here is what has changed, what hasn't, and what you need to do.
Every child in a household receiving Universal Credit now qualifies for free school meals, whatever the household earns. Until now, Universal Credit households only qualified if their earnings were £7,400 a year or less, a limit that had applied since April 2018. The Department for Education says the change can save a family up to £495 a year per child.
It isn't automatic. Families still need to apply through their local council, and transitional protection that kept some children eligible after their circumstances changed has ended, so eligibility now depends on your current circumstances and is rechecked each year. Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 at government-funded schools already get a free lunch automatically, whatever the household income.
Wales has given every primary school pupil a free lunch since the rollout finished across all 22 councils in September 2024. From September 2026 it has begun extending free meals to pupils in Years 7 and 8 in Universal Credit households with no earnings limit, backed by £15 million in the 2026/27 supplementary budget.
When it starts depends on where you live. Parents apply through their local council, and the Welsh Government's postcode checker shows when Year 7 and 8 applications open in each area. For other secondary pupils, the £7,400 earnings limit still applies to Universal Credit households. The Welsh Government has committed to removing the limit for secondary pupils in Universal Credit households more widely but has not published a timetable beyond Years 7 and 8.
See all four nations side by side in our free school meals guide.
General information, not financial or tax advice. Rules and rates change, so confirm on the official page before you apply.