Free school meals expansion grant: 2026 to 2027
Methodology and conditions of grant for the 2026 to 2027 financial year.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
The free school meals (FSM) expansion grant provides extra funding to mainstream schools, special schools and alternative provision schools. This is to help with the additional costs of free meals following the expansion to FSM eligibility in England to all children in households receiving Universal Credit.
The FSM expansion grant will provide funding for the period from September 2026 to March 2027.
Methodology
This sets out the methodology for the FSM expansion grant for the 2026 to 2027 financial year. It includes information on how we will allocate funding for:
- mainstream schools – from reception to key stage 4
- special and alternative provision schools
Conditions of grant
Grant recipients must comply with these terms and conditions when spending the grant funding.
Published allocations
Allocations will be published on this page in February 2027.
Further information
You can find more information on the FSM expansion and what it means for the sector in the FSM guidance for schools and local authorities.
The FSM expansion also applies to further education free meals. You can find details in the free meals in further education guide.
Further details of funding for early years settings will be published in due course.