Benwick Primary School

Apply for Free School Meals

Please make sure you have applied for your child’s  Free School Meal.

For eligibility please click on the link.

Free School Meals

Free school meals (FSM) are changing from the beginning of September 2026. From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, all children in households receiving Universal Credit will be eligible for free school meals. This is regardless of household income.

The transitional protection that has been in place since 2018, while Universal Credit (UC) was rolled out, has now ended.

Children currently receiving FSM must continue to meet the eligibility criteria. This will be confirmed through a recheck. Those who remain eligible will continue to receive FSM.

When you apply for free school meals, you will normally receive either a Targeted or Expanded award.

  • Targeted means that the school qualifies to receive additional funding called Pupil Premium
  • Expanded means you only receive free school meals, with no extra funding for the school

This scheme is available for school-age children and for post-16 students at a school with a sixth form or college.

Targeted Free School Meals

Households receiving Universal Credit (UC) with annual earnings of £7,400 or less. This will entitle your child to the following:

Expanded Free School Meals

Households receiving Universal Credit (UC) with annual earnings of more than £7,400. This will entitle your child to the following:

  • a free lunch in school each day during term-time only

EFSM does not provide eligibility for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

Universal Free School Meals

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 attending government-funded schools will continue to be entitled to free school meals. This is regardless of their household's income or benefit status. UIFSM does not provide eligibility for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

We recommend that you still apply for the new Expanded/Targeted Free School Meals scheme. Your eligibility will automatically be checked when your child moves into Year 3. If your child is eligible for Targeted Free School Meals, they may also be able to access the HAF programme, and their school could receive between £1,100 and £1,550 in Pupil Premium funding.