All children on universal credit to get free school meals: ‘It will take hunger out of classroom’

All children from households receiving universal credit will get free school meals, the government has announced ahead of next week’s spending review.

Ministers said the change, which will come into force at the start of the 2026 school year, would see more than half a million more children gain access to a free nutritious meal at school.

That will see £500 put back into parents’ pockets every year, lifting 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty, the government claimed.

Prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost of living pressures.

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“My government is taking action to ease those pressures. Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents’ pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn.

“This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed.”

Since 2018, children have only been eligible for free school meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year, meaning hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty have been unable to access free school meals.

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said making more children eligible for free meals will “end the impossible choice thousands of our hardest grafting families must make between paying bills and feeding their children”.

Big Issue founder Lord John Bird said the move was a “welcome and long-overdue step in the right direction” by the government. “Making sure every child on universal credit gets a hot meal at school is common sense,” he added. “It gives children the fuel to learn and takes pressure off families already stretched to their limits.

“Lifting 100,000 children out of poverty is no small achievement. But this can’t be a one-off. We need a long-term commitment to tackling child poverty at its roots.

That’s why I’ve put forward an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – to make sure governments are properly held to account on this issue, now and in the future. With 4.3 million children still living in poverty, we’ve got to treat this life the national emergency it is.”

Child poverty and education experts have praised Labour’s decision to broaden eligibility, describing it as a “game-changer” for low-income families.

Nick Harrison, CEO of the education charity The Sutton Trust, said: “This is a significant step towards taking hunger out of the classroom. Children can’t learn effectively when hungry, so this announcement not only helps to tackle the effects of child poverty, but will also likely help improve education outcomes for disadvantaged young people.

“Giving free school meals to all families who are eligible for universal credit is also easier for parents to understand, so has the potential to increase take up rates. This is an important milestone in delivering on the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity.”

The government revealed last month that a long-awaited 10–year strategy to tackle child poverty had been delayed until autumn.

A record-high 4.5 million children are living in poverty in England and Starmer has come under increasing pressure to take action, including by axing the two-child limit which could lift 230,000 children under the age of five out of poverty alone.

Kate Anstey, head of education policy at Child Poverty Action Group said the decision to ensure all children on universal credit have access to free school meals must be a sign of things to come.

“This is fantastic news and a game-changer for children and families,” said Anstey. “At last more kids will get the food they need to learn and thrive and millions of parents struggling to make ends meet will get a bit of breathing space. We hope this is a sign of what’s to come in autumn’s child poverty strategy, with government taking more action to meet its manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty in the UK.”

The new free school meals entitlement will apply to children from households on universal credit in all settings where free school meals are currently delivered, including schools, school-based nurseries and further education settings. 

The government said it expects the majority of schools will allow parents to apply before the start of the school year 2026 by providing their national insurance number to check their eligibility.

Schools and local authorities will continue to receive pupil premium and home to school transport extended rights funding based on the existing free school meals threshold. 

Dr Tammy Campbell, director for early years, inequalities and wellbeing at the Education Policy Institute, said it is important that families do not miss out on the new entitlement. 

“Implementation and access are also important. Our research shows that many families currently entitled to FSM are not registered for their entitlement,” said Campbell.

“This is particularly a problem in the early years and at the beginning of primary school. Alongside many others, including the Education Select Committee, we have called for centralised autoenrollment to help with these barriers to access and with under-registration.

“There does not appear to be a clear rationale from government as to why the new free school meal eligibility criteria will not be reflected in pupil premium eligibility. The government is clear that these children are growing up in difficult circumstances. As such they are more likely to have lower attainment and benefit from additional support in school.”

Chief executive of the National Children’s Bureau Anna Feuchtwang said the move was a clear sign the government is recognising the scale of child poverty and the urgent action needed to address it. “This major investment will enable more children to receive a nutritious meal, while lifting tens of thousands of children out of poverty,” she said.

“This positive development must still be put in the context of recent cuts to disability benefits and the ongoing impact of the two-child limit. It is crucial that the government reconsiders its position on these through its forthcoming child poverty strategy and that today’s announcement is a down payment on further investment in the autumn.

“The strategy must also be backed by legally binding targets to ensure that this and future governments remain committed to improving living standards for the poorest in society.”

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