Pupil Premium and Free School Meals
If your household receives Universal Credit or certain other benefits, your child may be entitled to free school meals. Registering can also help the school receive additional government funding through the pupil premium.
Guidance checked: 29 August 2026. This page reflects Department for Education guidance for England for the 2026–27 school year.
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IMPORTANT CHANGE FROM SEPTEMBER 2026
All pupils in households receiving Universal Credit are eligible for free school meals. This replaces the previous Universal Credit household-income threshold for new eligibility. Other qualifying benefit routes continue to apply.
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What is the difference?
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FREE SCHOOL MEALS (FSM)
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PUPIL PREMIUM
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FSM provides eligible pupils with a free school meal during term time. Eligibility is based on government criteria and is normally checked by the school or local authority.
You need to make a claim unless your local authority or school has already confirmed eligibility.
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Pupil premium is government funding given to eligible schools to support pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and help improve educational outcomes.
The funding is paid to the school; it is not a payment made directly to parents.
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Who can get free school meals?
For the 2026–27 school year in England, a pupil can qualify through the benefits-based criteria if their household receives:
· Universal Credit — from the start of the 2026–27 academic year, all households receiving Universal Credit are eligible.
· Income Support.
· Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
· Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
· The guaranteed element of Pension Credit.
· Child Tax Credit, subject to the conditions in the Department for Education guidance.
· Working Tax Credit run-on, paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
· Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Families with no recourse to public funds may also qualify in specific circumstances. The government has separate guidance for this group.
Does free school meals automatically mean pupil premium?
Not always. From 2026–27, the government's expanded free school meals offer for Universal Credit households is separate from the targeted FSM category used to calculate pupil premium.
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Situation
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Free school meal?
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Pupil premium?
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Eligible under the targeted FSM criteria and a claim is recorded
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Yes
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Yes — subject to pupil premium rules, including age/year-group criteria.
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Eligible only under the expanded FSM provision introduced for 2026–27
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Yes
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No — expanded FSM does not itself generate pupil premium funding.
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Universal infant free school meals (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2)
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Yes
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No — this universal entitlement alone does not make a pupil eligible for pupil premium.
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Why should I still register if my child already gets a free meal?
The school needs accurate information about the basis of your child's eligibility. Targeted FSM eligibility is used in pupil premium calculations, while expanded FSM is not. If you think your child may meet the targeted criteria, please make sure your claim is recorded with the school or local authority.
What does “Ever 6” mean?
Pupil premium funding includes pupils who are currently eligible for targeted free school meals and pupils who have been recorded as eligible for targeted FSM at any point in the previous six years. This is commonly called Ever 6 FSM.
This means that a pupil may continue to be counted for pupil premium purposes even if their household's circumstances change and they no longer receive free school meals.
Other pupils covered by pupil premium
Pupil premium also covers certain children who have been in local authority care or other state care and who meet the relevant conditions. Separate arrangements also apply to eligible service children through the service pupil premium.
How to apply for free school meals
1. Check whether you may be eligible. Review the government criteria. If your household receives Universal Credit, the rules changed from the start of the 2026–27 academic year.
2. Contact your local authority or school. Free school meal applications are normally processed by your local authority, although schools may also be able to help with the application or checking process.
3. Make sure your claim is recorded. Ask the school or local authority to confirm that your child's eligibility has been checked. This is particularly important where eligibility may affect pupil premium funding.
How this helps our school
Pupil premium funding is intended to help schools improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Our school decides how to use this funding in line with government requirements and our pupil premium strategy.
Examples may include targeted academic support, attendance and engagement work, enrichment, pastoral support, or approaches that remove barriers to learning.
Our school contact: [Insert school office / pupil premium contact details]
Our pupil premium strategy: [Insert link to the school's pupil premium strategy]
Frequently asked questions
My child is in Year 7. Can they receive pupil premium?
Yes, if they meet the relevant pupil premium criteria. School-age pupil premium applies to eligible pupils aged 4 and above in Reception to Year 11, subject to the detailed rules.
Will the school know automatically that I receive Universal Credit?
Do not assume this. Eligibility needs to be checked and recorded through the appropriate process. Please contact the school or your local authority if you are unsure.
Can I apply if I have no recourse to public funds?
Some families with no recourse to public funds can qualify for free school meals under separate government arrangements. Ask the school or local authority about the current eligibility requirements.
Is pupil premium money paid to me?
No. Pupil premium is funding paid to the school to support eligible pupils.
Official government guidance
· GOV.UK: Free school meals — guidance for schools and local authorities
· GOV.UK: Pupil premium — overview
· GOV.UK: Pupil premium — 2026 to 2027 allocations and conditions of grant
· GOV.UK: Apply for free school meals
This document is intended as parent-friendly information, not a substitute for the official guidance. Eligibility rules can change, so the latest GOV.UK guidance should be used where there is any doubt.