Eligibility of free school meals expanded

The government has announced it will be expanding the eligibility of free school meals, with every pupil whose household is on Universal Credit entitled from the start of the 2026 school year. 

Since 2018, children have only been eligible for free school meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year, meaning many children living in poverty have been unable to access free school meals.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents’ pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn.

"This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed."

This new entitlement will apply to children in all settings where free school meals are currently delivered, including schools, school-based nurseries and Further Education settings.

Schools and local authorities will continue to receive pupil premium and home to school transport extended rights funding based on the existing free school meals threshold. 

The Government is also offering more than £13 million in funding to 12 food charities across England to redistribute thousands of tonnes of fresh produce directly from farms to fight food poverty in communities.

The Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate scheme is helping farms and organisations to work collaboratively to ensure edible food that might have been left in fields instead ends up on the plates of those who need it, including schoolchildren.