Free School Meals Expansion from September

From September, Free School Meals are being expanded to all families receiving Universal Credit. The government has announced two new categories of entitlement:

Targeted FSM

•  Pupils from families on UC with an income threshold (income under £7,400 per year)

• Attracts pupil premium and FSM6 funding

• Eligibility for HAF programmes

Extended FSM 

• Pupils from families on UC with no income threshold

• Does not attract pupil premium or FSM6 funding

• Not eligible for HAF programmes

Since 2018, there has been a Free School Meal transitional protection policy to ensure that children didn’t lose their free school meals if their family’s income increased. This meant that free school meals entitlement has been typically locked in until the end of the child’s current phase of education (e.g. end of primary or secondary school).

This protection is ending at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.

This means that all existing pupils in receipt of free school meals will need to have their entitlement rechecked before the start of September 2026. If your family’s earnings exceed the FSM threshold, your child(ren) will lose their eligibility and pay for school meals from September 2026.

To apply for Free School Meals for September, all eligible families should submit an application during the summer holidays here: www.n-somerset.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals. 

Please note: Families who were awarded Free School Meals more than two years ago will have applied through North Somerset Council's previous application system. These families will need to reapply through their North Somerset Citizen's Account (or register for one) as North Somerset Council no longer holds their personal details to contact them or reassess their eligibility.