Free school meals and pupil premium
Important information about free school meals applications
Recent changes to free school meal eligibility mean that more families receiving Universal Credit may now qualify for support.
If you have:
- never applied before - check your eligibility and submit an application
- applied before 1 July 2026 - submit a new application - applications received before this date may not have been assessed using the updated eligibility criteria
- applied on or after 1 July 2026 - no further action is required - your application will be assessed under the current eligibility criteria
Due to a significant increase in applications following the changes to eligibility, processing times are currently longer than usual. Our team is working hard to process all outstanding applications and aims to complete them before the start of the 2026/27 academic year in September.
The FSM team operates as an email-only service and does not provide telephone support. While enquiries from the public are welcomed by email, response times are currently significantly longer than usual due to the increased demand, with priority being given to supporting schools and processing applications.
Household Support Fund update
The Household Support Fund (HSF) ended in March 2026 following a decision by central government and, as a result, grocery vouchers are no longer available. Families seeking financial assistance should contact the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) rather than the FSM team.
Queries relating to the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme should be emailed to Northamptonshire Sport on [email protected].
Reception, year 1 and year 2
All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 are automatically entitled to free school meals under the Universal Infant Free School Meals scheme.
Contact your child's school directly to find out how to order and access the meals.
You need to apply for the pupil premium (additional school funding for disadvantaged children to improve the quality of their education) if your child's school is in North Northamptonshire. The child must reside with the applicant.
Year 3 and above
The school the child is attending will automatically get a pupil premium amount if the child is eligible for free school meals.
You can apply below for free school meals (£2.58 towards the cost of each meal) for older children in full-time education up to the age of 18 if you are in receipt of certain benefits and they attend a school in North Northamptonshire.
Who is eligible for benefits based free school meals
From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, we are expanding FSM eligibility to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit regardless of household earnings. Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
A pupil is only eligible to receive a free school meal where both:
- a claim for this support has been made
- their eligibility has been verified by the school where they are enrolled or by the local authority
Households may also be entitled to a meal if they:
- are in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- receive the guarantee element of Pension Credit
- meet criteria set out in separate guidance for families with no recourse to public funds
Targeted FSM
Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less (the existing threshold for FSM prior to the expansion), will be eligible for targeted FSM. In addition to receiving free meals, pupils eligible for targeted FSM will attract pupil premium and other disadvantage funding for their schools.
Pupil premium and other disadvantage funding is currently allocated in respect of pupils who are recorded in school census returns as eligible for FSM, or have been recorded as eligible for FSM in the past 6 years (referred to as Ever 6 FSM). From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, Ever 6 FSM will be based on targeted FSM. This cohort is also used for accountability purposes.
Other education entitlements that have previously been linked to eligibility for FSM, such as the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) and the ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance, will also continue to be based on targeted FSM.
Households qualifying for free meals because they are in receipt of support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 will also be eligible for targeted FSM.
Households in receipt of Income-related Employment and Support Allowance or the guarantee element of Pension Credit or households with families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) may also be eligible for targeted FSM.
Expanded FSM
Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit, with annual household earnings exceeding £7,400 will be entitled to expanded FSM (meals only).
The application outcome will be confirmed instantly and emailed to you with a reference number. We will process the application and notify your child's school within 5 working days. Pupil premium is automatically applied for at the same time.
You will then need to find out from your school how to order and access free meals.
All children entitled to free school meals will receive them until the end of the 2025/26 academic year. This continues even if your income increases. This is called transitional protection.
From the 2026/27 academic year, the Department for Education intends to discontinue all protections but will extend eligibility criteria for free school meals. From this point, households must meet the eligibility criteria to be entitled to free school meals
During September and October there is a longer wait for applications to be processed.
Children in care or with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Families with children in care or with SEN need to meet the eligibility criteria above.
The government directly funds meals for children residing in local authority care homes.
Changes and support
Contact the free school meal team by email at [email protected] if:
- you stop receiving an eligible benefit
- you change your address
- you need help or support including unsuccessful or pending applications
Last updated 07 August 2026