Free School Meal Information

Free School Meals 2026/27 - Important Information

Changes to Free School Meal Eligibility from September 2026

The Government has expanded Free School Meal eligibility from September 2026. Families receiving Universal Credit may now qualify regardless of household earnings. Parents and carers are asked to check eligibility before 8:00am on Monday 14 September 2026.

The Government has expanded the Free School Meals (FSM) scheme from September 2026. As a result, many more families may now be eligible for free school meals.

If your family receives Universal Credit, we strongly encourage you to check your child's eligibility, even if you have not previously qualified.

What Has Changed?

There are now two categories of benefits-related Free School Meals:

Targeted Free School Meals

Children whose families:

• Receive Universal Credit and have annual earnings below £7,400; or meet other existing qualifying benefit criteria.

Expanded Free School Meals

Children whose families:

• Receive Universal Credit but have annual earnings above the £7,400 earnings threshold.
• This change means that many more children may now qualify for free school meals.

What Do I Need to Do?

Previous protection arrangements for Free School Meals have ended, meaning eligibility now needs to be checked under the new rules.

Even if your child currently receives free school meals, we strongly recommend completing a new eligibility check.

Please visit the Bradford Council information page below:

Free School Meals - Important Information | News | Bradford Schools Online

Important Deadline

Please complete the eligibility check by:  8:00am on Monday 14 September 2026

Not Sure If You're Eligible?

We encourage all parents and carers to complete the eligibility check. The process is quick and straightforward, and many families who were previously not eligible may now qualify under the expanded arrangements.

If you require any assistance, please contact the school office using our contact us page.