Eligibility for benefits-related free school meals (FSM) from September 2026
Families who receive the following are eligible for free school meals under the Targeted category:
- Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- guarantee element of Pension Credit.
Families who receive the following are eligible for free school meals under the Expanded category:
- Universal credit whose annual earnings are above £7,400.
Young people who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.
Providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
Most categories of temporary immigration permission fall under ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF).
From the academic year 2026 to 2027, eligible children in households with NRPF will continue to be eligible for FSM.
However, as free school meals have expanded, there will be 2 categories for free school meals, each with their own set of income thresholds:
- ‘targeted’ free school meals with NRPF thresholds
- ‘expanded’ free school meals with NRPF thresholds
As well as free meals, pupils eligible under the targeted free school meals NRPF thresholds will:
- attract pupil premium and other disadvantage funding for their schools
- have eligibility for the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF)
- have eligibility for the ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance
Those in the expanded category are eligible for a free meal only.
More information on eligible groups and the income thresholds that apply can be found here - Providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) - GOV.UK
If you are a family with NRPF, please fill out the application form below and email it to freemeals@warwickshire.gov.uk along with any supporting evidence.
Application for free school meals - families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) (DOC, 57KB)
If you receive a qualifying benefit, free school meals are available for:
- Pupils at any academy school, or schools maintained by the authority.
- Students aged between 16 and 18 on 31 August in the following academic year. Students who turn 19 during their study programme will remain eligible for a free meal until the end of the academic year in which they turn 19, or to the end of their study programme, whichever is sooner. Students at Department for Education funded colleges or academy sixth forms must apply directly to the college or school (more guidance for these settings - gov.uk). We can only process applications for young people in Year 12 or above at Exhall Grange Specialist School, because it is maintained by the council.
- Students aged over 19 who are continuing the same study programme (19+ continuers) they started before they turned 19, or who have a current education health and care (EHC) plan are eligible for a free meal where they meet the criteria.
- Children of any age attending maintained, academy or free school nurseries both before and after lunch, at least once a week, and are registered as pupils with the School. Free school meals are not available to children attending private nurseries. List of the nurseries where children can access free school meals (PDF, 64 KB).