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To ensure your child’s eligibility is correctly recorded for the start of the 2026/27 academic year, we ask that you complete the online eligibility form as soon as possible using the link: -
Click here to apply: Apply for Free School Meals
ALL pupils must have their eligibility re-checked before the start of the new academic year in September 2026.
Under the new guidance, there will be two types of Free School Meals eligibility:
- Targeted FSM – for families who meet the means-tested criteria, including households receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or below.
- Extended FSM – for pupils living in households receiving Universal Credit where annual earnings are above the £7,400 threshold. (Further clarification on this category is expected from the DfE and we will share updates once received).
It is very important that all families complete the eligibility check as soon as possible to avoid any delays or gaps in entitlement.
Important Information before you begin
- If you are entitled to free school meals and do not wish to claim the free meal, we will still share the eligibility status with your school to enable them to claim the pupil premium funding. Pupil premium funding offers additional financial support to your child’s school, enabling them to deliver interventions and resources that help improve educational out
- If parental responsibility is not shared amongst all children, separate applications will be required
Who is eligible to Free School Meals
Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190
- Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
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Section 512 of the Education Act 1996, as amended, places a duty on maintained schools, academies and free schools to provide free school meals to pupils of all ages that meet the criteria.
A pupil is only eligible to receive a free school meal when a claim for the meal has been made on their behalf and their eligibility, or protected status, has been verified by the school where they are enrolled or by the local authority.
