Free school meals extended

[Danikm151]

Unsure if others have posted about this.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdr5mr5l2d1o

Free school meals to be extended to all on UC regardless of income. This will help so many working parents. The £7,400 threshold was shockingly low.
I’ve been worried about paying for school meals after key stage 1 ends so this is good news today.

This is amazing news 🥳

This is great. Means those who are working but need UC can benefit too. Luckily ours are only £1.50 a day but still about £30/40 a month.

Hopefully next they’ll lift the 2 child limit on the child element of UC. Really lift people out of poverty . The extension of FSM is a start but more needs to be done.

@TwoFeralKids that £30/£40 a month can build up over a few years though.

But not until Sept 2026

Yep. Then I have a second starting school next year.

Not sure why it can't be this September.

Probably a lot of admin that will be needed to implement- adjusting of school budgets etc.
Then again, having it for all who qualify for UC may remove a lot of the admin. Rather than having to do the income checks via HMRC it will be a quick check via DWP.

Yes. I did say to my husband they should extend it to all parents on UC.

This isn’t fully funded though is it, schools will have to find some of the money from existing budgets.

I imagine it is the council isn't it? It needs to be changed though.

I am so relieved to hear this. My ex is unreliable at best with maintenance so I am constantly having to juggle finances. I only get a small amount of UC but by the time this comes in I will have two children in KS2 so knowing the meals will be covered is so helpful.

My eldest will be going to secondary in September 2026, it looks like the money gets added to their account automatically. Does anyone know if I will be able to top up the money?

I'm really pleased to hear this, with 3 children it will help us substantially. I hope they get the same pupil premium so they will be able to go on school trips now, something i cant usually afford. Also HAF in the school holidays. I have heard a lot of hate about the fsm and backlash about people saying it's unfair to have children to can't afford. But circumstances change, I could affod to have children when I had them and had I stayed with my abusive husband I wouldn't have to claim UC. Nothing is ever black and white in this world.

@MisunderstoodMe nothing in the news about this being pupil premium too but the help for parents makes a big difference.
The £40+ saved a month could go towards the cost of a school trip or something else sacrificed to pay for school meals.

Def be helpful. Mine are over £50 a month for one dc in yr 3

will be def happen and also for secondary school ?

It says in the news these children will not be entitled to PP - only FSM.

Tbh I’m not sure what kids /parents get on pp. just be nice to save £50 a month on meals

@Blondeshavemorefun definitely! £50 a month can go a long way

This will be excellent if properly funded. At the moment though, FSM is at a cost to school.
in my LA, school are billed around 80p more per meal than the funding pays. So we subside each free meal, including universal free meals for reception to year 2. If fully funded and no impact on school budgets then great but if not, school budgets will be cut even further.
This is of course no fault of the families claiming FSM but is another constraint on ridiculously underfunded schools.

Does this mean ALL children, including those with parents not claiming Universal credit, will get FSM? Does it affect any children currently getting FSM - will they no longer get them? Trying to work out if anyone is losing out here!

The only people losing out are those who earn above the threshold for universal credit. Sadly, I still think that means that many people who are finding things hard but don't quite qualify for help will continue to struggle. Good that some families will find it easier, but I do wonder where the money is coming from as I'm not sure this country can afford it at the moment.

No, there will be 2 different categories of FSM.

Targeted FSM - income less than £7400, get FSM and attract equivalent of pupil premium funding. It's a school decision on how the PP funding is spent. Much the same as current PP.

Extended FSM - receives Universal Credit but income is above £7400, get FSM but no other assistance

Not eligible - does not get Universal credit

With extended FSM, more families will be eligible. However currently no-one has been rechecked for eligibility since 2018, if you have been eligible, at any point, even if just for a month, since 2018, you remain eligible even if your circumstances change. Until Sept 26. There will almost certainly be some families who are currently receiving both FSM and PP and have got used to that level of assistance who's circumstances have changed so that they no longer receive UC, who will lose their FSM and PP.

Families will also be rechecked annually so just because you get FSM in 26/27 does not automatically mean you will still get it in 27/28.

Interesting!

and those for example, living in a London Borough, where all school meals are free for all primary aged children? I assume then this is only an exercise to generate funding for the schools where this may not have been done since the policy came into play in 2023, and not going to overwrite that?

I think the rules have changed again. You now are expected to reapply from now to be entitled for September 2026. The school can also apply on your behalf.