Changes for 2026 to 2027
From September 2026, all children can get Free School Meals if:
- they attend an eligible school and
- their household gets Universal Credit
There will be two types of Free School Meals based on benefits:
Targeted
This is the same as now. It applies to pupils from households on Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less. As well as Free School Meals, these pupils will still bring pupil premium and other disadvantage funding to their school.
Expanded
This is a new category. It is for pupils whore households get Universal Credit, but earn more than £7,400 a year. These pupils will be entitled to Free School Meals only.
If you are an asylum seeker, you need to contact Bradford Council’s Access Team on 01274 439393 / education.access@bradford.gov.uk