Annual eligibility checks for free school meals begin from the 2026/27 school year

Free school meals eligibility will be checked annually from the 2026/27 school year, ahead of the October school census, according to the independent benefits information service Entitledto¹. The change sits alongside an expansion of free school meals in England from September 2026, under which a child qualifies if their household receives Universal Credit, regardless of earnings or the amount of Universal Credit awarded¹. Entitledto estimates that around 500,000 additional children will become eligible under the expanded rules¹.

From September 2026 there are two types of eligibility for children in year 3 and above in England, both based on Universal Credit². Targeted free school meals apply where the household receives Universal Credit and annual earnings are £7,400 or less, measured on the last monthly assessment period, which must be under £617 per month, averaged over three months if earnings vary². Expanded free school meals apply where the household receives Universal Credit but earnings are above that £7,400 threshold². Expanded eligibility covers free school meals only and does not qualify a child for linked entitlements such as school clothing and uniform grants, holiday activities and food provision, school travel assistance and other discretionary support, which continue to be based on the £7,400 threshold¹.

The check result is valid for the full academic year, and applications can be made from 1 June 2026 for the start of the autumn term¹. Where a household becomes eligible for Universal Credit during the school year, Entitledto states that a claim should be made at that point and eligibility continues for the remainder of the year¹. Free school meals are administered by local authorities but normally claimed through the child's school, using a form from the school website or a paper copy from the school office¹. In some areas the local authority automatically re-enrols a child; where it does not, a claim must be made again each year¹.

The September 2026 expansion applies to England only¹. Wales is also expanding free school meals from September 2026, with secondary pupils in years 7 and 8 qualifying if their household receives Universal Credit, regardless of household income, and older year groups expected to follow in later phases¹. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes with different eligibility rules¹.

Why it matters for households

The annual check means eligibility is reassessed each year rather than being allowed to run on, so a child's entitlement is confirmed for one academic year at a time¹. Families whose circumstances change during the year, including becoming eligible for Universal Credit partway through, are covered for the remainder of that year under the rules described¹. Because re-enrolment is automatic in some areas but not others, the practical effect of the annual check differs by local authority¹.

The expansion widens free school meal eligibility to Universal Credit households above the £7,400 earnings threshold, but the linked support that sits alongside targeted eligibility, including uniform grants, holiday food provision and school travel assistance, remains tied to that threshold¹. A household that qualifies only under the expanded rules therefore receives free school meals without those additional entitlements¹. For families with no recourse to public funds, Entitledto lists separate income limits for free school meals: £22,700 outside London with one child, £26,300 outside London with two or more children, £31,200 within London with one child and £34,800 within London with two or more children².

What happens next

Applications open on 1 June 2026 for the start of the autumn term¹. The first annual eligibility check under the new arrangement takes place ahead of the October school census in the 2026/27 school year¹. Further phases of the Welsh rollout for older secondary year groups have been indicated but not dated in the information published¹.

Households can check what support they may be entitled to using free calculators and advisers, and the site's benefits hub covers related help.