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Free School Meals (England)

Department for Education / local authorities

Details being confirmed

Some figures on this page (such as the amount, deadline, or rate) are provisional and due a fresh verification pass against the official source. Please confirm the current details using the official link below before relying on this information.

Description

Means-tested free school lunches for pupils in government-funded schools in England, administered by individual local authorities rather than one national application. From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, every child in a household receiving Universal Credit qualifies regardless of earnings, removing the £7,400/year household-earnings cap that had applied since April 2018 for Universal Credit claimants specifically (other qualifying benefits — income-related Employment and Support Allowance, the guarantee element of Pension Credit, and support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 — were never subject to that cap). Separately, Universal Infant Free School Meals gives every child in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 at a government-funded school a free lunch regardless of household income or benefit status.

Amount

A free lunch every school day. DfE's own figures cite typical household savings of up to £495/year per child from the Universal Credit expansion alone; over 500,000 additional pupils are expected to become newly eligible under 'expanded FSM'.

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

  • Available in: England.
  • Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
  • Relevant income bands: earning under the Personal Allowance.
  • Relevant age groups: under 18.
Notes
DfE now distinguishes 'targeted FSM' (Universal Credit households with annual earnings of £7,400 or less, which also attracts Pupil Premium funding, Holiday Activities and Food programme access, and extended free school transport) from 'expanded FSM' (Universal Credit households above that threshold, entitled to the free meal only, with no Pupil Premium attached). Transitional protection for pupils who would otherwise have lost eligibility ended at the close of the 2025/26 academic year; from September 2026 eligibility is reassessed on current circumstances. Families still need to register/apply — the expansion is not automatic enrolment — confirmed via gov.uk and the DfE's own Education Hub blog in this pass (October 2026), but flagged for review given how recent and fast-moving this change is.
Requirement
Household receives Universal Credit (any earnings level, from September 2026), income-related Employment and Support Allowance, the guarantee element of Pension Credit, or support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 — or the child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 at a government-funded school (automatic, no benefit needed).

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How to apply

Apply via your local authority (most link from gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals); eligibility is checked automatically against DWP/HMRC benefit records. Reception–Year 2 pupils at government-funded schools get a free lunch automatically with no application needed, though parents are still encouraged to register a qualifying benefit so the school also receives Pupil Premium funding.

View official source

Last verified: 3 October 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.