Free School Meals – Important Changes from September 2026

The Government has introduced significant changes to the Free School Meals (FSM) scheme from September 2026.

As part of these changes, there are now two categories of free school meal entitlement:

Targeted Free School Meals

Students eligible under the Targeted category will receive:

• Free school meals

• Pupil Premium funding for their school

• Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) vouchers (while the scheme is available)

Expanded Free School Meals

Students eligible under the Expanded category will receive:

• Free school meals only.

No additional funding or support is linked to this category.

Why do I need to apply again?

The Government's previous transitional protection arrangements have now ended. Previously, many students who became eligible for free school meals remained entitled until the end of their phase of education, even if their family's circumstances changed.

To ensure that every eligible student continues to receive the correct entitlement under the new arrangements, we are asking all families to complete a new eligibility check, even if your child currently receives free school meals.

This will enable Buckinghamshire Council to assess your child's eligibility under the new scheme and ensure they are placed in the correct category.

If you do not submit a new application, your child's current free school meal entitlement will end on 31 August 2026 and they will not receive free school meals from the start of the 2026–2027 academic year until a successful application has been made.

We strongly encourage all families to complete the application as soon as possible to avoid any interruption to their child's entitlement.

How eligibility is assessed

Targeted Free School Meals

You may qualify for the Targeted category if you receive:

• Universal Credit with a household earned income of £7,400 a year or less (after tax and excluding benefits)

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

• The Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit

• Support under the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) criteria.

Expanded Free School Meals

You may qualify for the Expanded category if you receive:

• Universal Credit with a household earned income of more than £7,400 a year.

Annual eligibility checks

Once your child has been found eligible, they will remain entitled to free school meals until the end of the current school year.

Buckinghamshire Council will automatically carry out eligibility checks each June or July to determine entitlement for the following September. If your circumstances change, your eligibility category may also change.

Families with more than one child

An application must be made for each child.

If your children attend different schools, a separate application must be completed for each child at their respective school.

Please complete the form via the link below to check if your child is eligible.

If your child is in receipt of free school meals at their current school, you will need to make a new application when they join STFS.