Starting in September 2026, every child in England whose parents receive Universal Credit will be eligible for free school meals, regardless of how much their household earns.
This is a major shift from the current rule, which limits eligibility to families earning under £7,400 a year.
The government says this change will open the door for around 500,000 more children to receive free meals. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it a move to "help families who need it most", and the Department for Education has committed £1 billion to fund the initiative through 2029.
What this means for families
Parents could save up to £500 a year per child.
An estimated 100,000 children could be lifted out of poverty, according to ministers.
£13 million will also go to food charities to help redistribute surplus food from farms to those in need.
Starmer emphasized the broader impact: “Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to support families, tackle poverty, and help children succeed in school.”
Reactions and criticisms
The announcement was widely welcomed:
Sutton Trust called it a “significant step” toward ending classroom hunger.
School leaders’ unions and child poverty advocates described it as “great news” and a “game-changer.”
However, experts at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) cautioned that the impact on poverty might not be as large or immediate as the government hopes. They also pointed out that lifting the two-child benefit cap could be more cost-effective in reducing child poverty.
Two-child benefit cap under scrutiny
The two-child benefit cap, which prevents most families from receiving financial support for a third child born after April 2017, remains a contentious issue. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson acknowledged the policy has pushed families into poverty but warned that scrapping it would be expensive.
Labour hasn’t yet committed to ending the cap, but the government is expected to address it in the autumn child poverty strategy.
Who can get free school meals now?
Currently, around 2.1 million children (about 25% of pupils) receive free school meals in England. But many eligible kids miss out because parents need to apply and the process can be complex or unclear—especially for families facing language barriers.
Calls are growing for automatic enrollment to make sure no child misses out.
How other UK nations compare
London and Wales: All primary school kids get free meals.
Scotland: All early primary school children and those receiving the Scottish Child Payment qualify.
Northern Ireland: Families can claim if they earn under £15,000, nearly double the current English threshold. Photo by Casey Lehman from Häljarp, Sweden, Wikimedia commons.