Changes to free school meals from September 2026

There are some upcoming changes to free school meals, which may affect pupils from 1 September 2026.

To find out more please click the following link https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/schools-childcare/school-meals

We want to make sure that we are providing your child with the best education and support we can. Healthy school food has obvious health benefits and can help pupils establish healthy habits for life. Healthy school food can also help to improve pupils’ readiness to learn.

Families who receive certain benefits may be eligible for free school meals. Your child is eligible for free school meals if you’re in receipt of one of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit with a household income of £7,400 a year or less
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• support as a family with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)

or

• Families may also be eligible if they receive Universal Credit with a household income above £7,400.

Registering for free meals could also raise an extra £1550 for your child’s secondary school to fund valuable support like extra tuition, additional teaching staff or after school activities.

This additional money is available from central government for every child whose parent is receiving one of the benefits listed above.

If you wish to check your own entitlement for free school meals at any time you can use the following link to the School Meals page of the Sheffield City Council website: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/schools-childcare/school-meals

Next steps after you've applied

If your claim is successful, school will be notified that your child can have free school meals. We will ensure that this information is treated with the strictest confidence and handled sensitively.

What happens at school?

Each day your free school meals entitlement will be automatically added to your child’s account. No differentiation is made between FSM and non-FSM account holders when buying food. Please note that your free school meals entitlement is the total amount available, so students choosing to spend all of their money at break will not then have additional funds added at lunchtime. Accounts can be topped up with additional money should parents/carers wish to do so.