Free School Meals
If you are in receipt of certain benefits your child could be eligible to apply for the government’s Free School Meals allowance, providing your child with a free and nutritious meal per school day.
Parents can access Free School Meals (FSM) if their child attends a state-funded school and the family receives qualifying government benefits, such as income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Tax Credit, or Universal Credit. Eligibility criteria and enrollment processes depend on the child’s age and local council.
Eligibility is based on one 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
Expanded Universal Credit Criteria
From the start of the 2026/2027 school year, the Department for Education (DfE) will expand eligibility. All households in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to receive free school meals, removing the strict £7,400 income threshold.
