Transitional protection for free school meals

The Department for Education (DfE) introduced transitional protection for pupils eligible for income-related free school meals (FSM) during the rollout of Universal Credit. This means that pupils who were eligible on 1 April 2018, or who became eligible after this date, have continued to receive free school meals even if their household income or benefits status changed.

Please note this protection is not awarded to free school meal claims for asylum seekers or those with no recourse to public funds.

End of transitional protection

The Department for Education has confirmed that transitional protection will end before the start of the 2026/2027 academic year.

• Protection will therefore end on 31 August 2026.
• From September 2026, all pupils will need to meet the current eligibility criteria to receive free school meals.
• This replaces previous guidance, which allowed protection to continue until the end of a phase of education

What this means

• Pupils currently protected will continue to receive FSM until the end of the 2025/2026 academic year.
• After this date, entitlement will be reassessed based on eligibility.

Reviewing free school meal claims

Annual reviews

All free school meal claims are reviewed each summer in preparation for the new academic year.

Summer 2026 review programme

• A full review of all existing FSM claims will take place in summer 2026
• This coincides with the end of transitional protection
• The review will confirm which pupils: 
  
  • Remain eligible under current criteria
  • No longer qualify and will lose entitlement from September 2026

Further guidance is available at GOV.UK.

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