From eligibility to enrolment: How local authorities increase Free School Meals take-up and support schools

From September 2026, Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility expanded significantly across England and Wales. In England, all children in households receiving Universal Credit are now eligible due to the removal of the £7,400 earnings threshold. The same expansion has happened in Wales, but currently just for Years 7 and 8, with further year groups expected to follow.

While these changes bring real opportunities to support more families, they also introduce new complexity. Many funding decisions will continue to be linked to the previous eligibility criteria rather than applying to all those now eligible. As a result, the reform has led to three distinct groups of eligible pupils: Targeted, Expanded and Universal.

Identifying and correctly recording each pupil’s FSM group has become very important, as this must be correctly recorded to secure Pupil Premium, National Funding Formula, Pupil Development Grant and School Essentials Grant funding. As eligibility is never automatic, families still need to apply, which makes take-up support more important than ever.