Early Years Free School Meals Expansion
Schools will already have received information on upcoming changes to Free School Meals (FSM). In June 2026, the Department for Education (DfE) announced additional funding to support the expansion of FSM eligibility.
Local authorities will receive a dedicated Early Years Free School Meals (EYFSM) Expansion Grant and are required to pass this funding on in full to eligible schools.
Maintained schools, academies, free schools and maintained nursery schools already have a statutory duty to provide FSM to pupils receiving early years entitlements who attend before and after lunch and whose households meet the current income criteria.
From September 2026, eligibility for Free School Meals will be expanded to all children in households receiving Universal Credit, including children attending eligible early years provision in school-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools.
What schools need to do
Schools with nursery provision should ensure they have processes in place to:
- Identify eligible children
- Support families to apply promptly
Early identification of eligible families will help ensure children can benefit from free meals from the start of the autumn term.
Funding arrangements
The DfE has confirmed that:
- Grant allocations will be published in October 2026
- Funding will be paid to local authorities in November 2026
Further information on how Oxfordshire County Council will distribute the funding to eligible schools will be shared as soon as details are available.
Further information
We will continue to share updates and guidance as further information becomes available from the DfE.
Schools can view the DfE guidance on the Early Years Free School Meals Expansion Grant.
Updates will also be published through Schools News and on the council website.
Contact
If you have any questions or would like support, please contact the Free School Meals team Free.SchoolMeals@Oxfordshire.gov.uk