The entitlement for Free School Meals (FSM) criteria is:

• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190). 
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:

• younger than the compulsory age for starting school
• in full-time education

Staffordshire children can apply by clicking here.

Stoke-on-Trent children can apply by clicking here.

Universal Infant Free School Meals (UFSM)

Your child will be able to access free school meals if they’re in a government-funded school and in:

• Reception class
• Year 1
• Year 2

Tell your local authority if you also get any of the qualifying benefits. Your child’s school can get extra funding if you do.

Changes for the 2026 to 2027 academic year

From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit attending these schools will be entitled to receive a free meal.

We have made this a legal requirement through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 and intend to lay additional regulations extending this duty to maintained nursery schools.

Going forward, there will be 2 categories of benefits-based free school meals:

• Targeted FSM, which continues to be based on the existing threshold, covering pupils who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less
• Expanded FSM, a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit

Ending transitional protections

Transitional protections for free school meals have been in effect since 1 April 2018. This has meant that pupils becoming eligible for free meals under the benefits-based criteria have retained their entitlement, even if their household circumstances have changed.

Transitional protections apply until the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year. All pupils eligible for free school meals under the benefits-based criteria before the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year should continue to receive this entitlement until the end of that academic year.

From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, transitional protections for free school meals will end. Households must meet the FSM eligibility criteria from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year to continue receiving provision.