Free School Meals Expansion: A Major Policy Shift
Starting in September 2026, every child in a family getting Universal Credit will automatically qualify for Free School Meals (FSM). This move scraps the old income cut-off—only families earning below £7,400 a year could claim before—and makes Universal Credit the only thing that matters for eligibility. In practical terms, around half a million more kids will get free meals at school every day.
The idea is simple: make things fairer and easier. No more forms where parents have to prove their earnings fall just under a confusing threshold. Now, if a family’s on Universal Credit, their children can eat for free at school—no exceptions. The Department for Education says this will help pull 150,000 people, including children, out of relative poverty (measured after housing costs) by 2030. Officials hope it’ll take away some of the stress families feel about keeping their kids fed during term time.
This move is part of a larger plan. Next year, the government promises to outline even broader child poverty strategies, but this FSM expansion is one of the most concrete steps announced so far. For many headteachers and parents, the change can’t come soon enough.
Benefit Shake-Up: What’s Changing for Families?
The Free School Meals shift isn’t happening in a vacuum. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) also plans to phase out four old-school benefits—Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Income Support, and Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance—by 2025-26. About 500,000 households will be moved onto Universal Credit instead. This is supposed to make the system less complicated and cut down on paperwork for everyone involved.
While the government claims this will streamline access and speed up payments, support groups worry about what happens to vulnerable families stuck mid-transition. Any big welfare change is messy in practice, and there are always stories of delays or misunderstandings leaving people short on cash when they need it most.
- Free meals mean families can save money or redirect it to other essentials
- Phasing out legacy benefits could reduce confusing overlap between programs
- But families rely on clear communication—if something goes wrong, kids can fall through the gaps
Critics are quick to point out that giving out lunches isn’t a cure-all. Food costs usually aren’t the only thing squeezing low-income families; rent, bills, and rising prices for everything from shoes to heating eat away at budgets too. Social policy researchers say the government needs to double down on making sure benefits keep up with living costs and support parents who can work but struggle to find steady jobs.
Still, for many, free lunches are a welcome relief and a rare piece of good news in an uncertain landscape. Students well fed at school are more likely to learn, focus, and thrive. While campaigners will keep the pressure on for deeper reforms, this policy shift will put hot meals—and one less worry—on the table for hundreds of thousands of kids within two years.
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