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All Schools

Free School Meal Eligibility and Checking Processes

We would like to update schools on several important national changes to Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility and how eligibility checking will operate over the coming years.

These changes will affect:

  • how schools submit FSM requests
  • the information required from parents and carers
  • how eligibility is maintained over time

1. Updates to the Eligibility Checking System (ECS)

The Department for Education (DfE) is introducing changes to the national FSM eligibility criteria from September. As a result, updates will also be made to the Eligibility Checking System (ECS) to support the new requirements.

To help us process applications efficiently, parents will need to provide:

  • first name and surname of the parent or carer making the claim
  • date of birth
  • National Insurance number or National Asylum Support Service (NASS) reference

Although not required to carry out the eligibility check, to enable us to keep a record of the request we also ask for:

  • the full name and date of birth of each child for whom a claim is being made

2. Updated wording of eligibility results

Schools may notice a change in how FSM eligibility results are displayed.

The wording used in the national checking service has been updated to be more parent‑friendly, and previous qualifiers (such as found – final or not found – manual process) will no longer appear.

The meaning of the results remains the same. The updated wording will appear as:

  • Eligible
  • May not be eligible
  • Could not check
  • Error

This change forms part of wider improvements to make FSM information easier for families and schools to understand.

3. End of transitional protections

National FSM Transitional Protections will remain in place until the end of this academic year.

This means children who became eligible for FSM on or after 1 April 2018 will continue to receive free school meals until July 2026, even if household circumstances have changed.

From September 2026, transitional protections will end and the new national eligibility rules will apply to all pupils.

4. Regular eligibility checks from 2026

Once transitional protections end, all pupils receiving FSM will need to have their eligibility confirmed through regular annual checks.

This will help ensure pupils who meet the updated criteria continue to receive their entitlement.

5. Submitting FSM requests for pupils on roll in September

As the updated national criteria apply to the new academic year, schools are asked to:

  • submit new FSM applications and rechecks for pupils who will be on roll in September
  • submit these towards the end of the summer term, where possible
  • submit requests as a batch file, where possible

These applications will be processed over the summer once the DfE publishes its final guidance.

Schools can continue to contact the FSM team in the usual way for any urgent queries.

6. New FSM types from September 2026

From September 2026, national FSM entitlement will consist of three types:

  • Targeted FSM
    For pupils in households with earned income under £7,400.
    Only this group will continue to attract Pupil Premium funding.
  • Expanded FSM
    For all other pupils in households receiving Universal Credit, regardless of income.
  • Universal Infant Free School Meals
    Continuing for all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

These categories reflect the national expansion of FSM to all families receiving Universal Credit and are intended to help schools distinguish between means‑tested entitlement and wider Universal Credit‑based provision.

7. Future developments: automated checking and auto‑enrolment

We are developing improvements to make FSM administration easier for schools and families.

Automated eligibility checking
We are exploring a digital system that would allow parents and schools to receive instant eligibility results. While this may not be available for September, it forms part of our planned service improvements.

FSM auto‑enrolment
We are also exploring an auto‑enrolment approach to help identify pupils who may be eligible for FSM but have not applied. Families will be fully informed and given the opportunity to opt out before any enrolment takes place.

Further information will be shared once development and testing are complete.

Please note

The information above reflects our current understanding and may be updated once the DfE publishes its final guidance. Any changes will be shared with schools as soon as possible.

Contact

For any queries, please email the Free School Meals team: Free.SchoolMeals@Oxfordshire.gov.uk