Free School Meal Changes
Dear Parents/Carers
Free School Meal Changes for the 2026 to 2027 Academic Year
From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to receive free school meals.
If your child is currently receiving free school meals the local authority will verify that they still qualify. If this is not the case, they will contact you.
If you are in receipt of Universal Credits and did not previously qualify for free school meals, you will need to complete an online application to confirm your entitlement and start receiving free meals from September. It only takes a few minutes to apply on the South Gloucestershire’s website using the link below:
https://oneb2b.southglos.gov.uk/CitizenPortal_LIVE/en?ReturnUrl=%2FCitizenPortal_LIVE%2F
If you need any support to apply please contact: info@p16.clf.uk
Further information regarding the changes
Going forward, there will be 2 categories of benefits-based free school meals:
- Targeted FSM – pupils who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less
- Expanded FSM – pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit.
Ending transitional protections
Transitional protections for free school meals have been in effect since 1 April 2018. This has meant that pupils becoming eligible for free meals under the benefits-based criteria have retained their entitlement, even if their household circumstances have changed.
Transitional protections apply until the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year. All pupils eligible for free school meals under the benefits-based criteria before the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year should continue to receive this entitlement until the end of that academic year.
From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, transitional protections for free school meals will end. Households must meet the FSM eligibility criteria from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year to continue receiving provision.
Rechecking eligibility
Going forward FSM eligibility should be monitored by schools and local authorities on an ongoing basis, through annual rechecks.
Rechecks should confirm that pupils in receipt of FSM continue to meet the eligibility criteria set out in this guidance, and the category of eligibility they fall under (either targeted or expanded).
Checks should be completed ahead of the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year. This is to allow all pupils to be ready to receive FSM from the start of the autumn term. Pupils will not attract FSM funding if they do not have a valid recheck of eligibility ahead of the October census each year.
You do not need to do anything; the local authority will complete the check and contact you if you are no longer eligible.
Please contact info@p16.clf.uk, if you have any questions about the above.
Kind regards
Alison Ashman
Head of School
