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Guidance

Free school meals: guidance for schools and local authorities

Guidance for schools and local authorities about providing school meals including information on free school meal eligibility.

From:
Department for Education
Published
22 March 2018
Last updated
8 May 2026 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Free school meals: guidance for local authorities, local -authority-maintained schools, academies and free schools

HTML

Model registration form for free school meal eligibility (Annex A)

MS Word Document, 45.9 KB

Evidence of eligibility for free school meals (Annex B)

HTML

Self-employment declaration form (Annex C)

MS Word Document, 37.3 KB

Operational readiness checklist for schools (Annex D)

HTML

Providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)

HTML

Application form for free school meals from families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)

MS Word Document, 71.2 KB

Details

This guidance helps schools and local authorities understand their obligations to provide free school meals (FSM) and the FSM eligibility criteria.

It is for:

  • School leaders, school staff and governing bodies in:
    • local-authority-maintained schools
    • academies
    • free schools
    • non-maintained special schools
  • local authorities

Alongside the main guidance we have provided:

  • documents that schools can share with parents:
    • a model registration form for free school meal eligibility
    • a self-employment declaration form
  • guidance for schools on the assessment of earnings for Universal Credit recipients (annex B)
  • an operational readiness checklist for schools
  • guidance on FSM eligibility for those with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
  • an application form for NRPF families and carers to verify their eligibility

Updates to this page

Published 22 March 2018
Last updated 8 May 2026 show all updates

  1. Updated guidance on free school meals and added additional information on evidence of eligibility for Universal Credit recipients. We have also added a model registration form and self -employment declaration for schools to share with parents and an operational readiness checklist for schools.

  2. We have updated this guidance to confirm that all households in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to receive free school meals from the start of the 2026 to 2027 school year. We have also extended transitional protections until the end of the 2025 to 2026 school year.

  3. Updated 'Providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)' to include eVisas.

  4. Updated 'Free school meals: guidance for local authorities, maintained schools, academies and free schools' with guidance on children receiving education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) and reasonable adjustments for disabled children.

  5. 'Free school meals: guidance for local authorities, maintained schools, academies and free schools' has been replaced with an updated version that adds revised dates for transitional protections, amends broken links and removes outdated information.

  6. 'Providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)' has been updated with new income thresholds information.

  7. Schools can claim additional pupil premium funding in 2022 to 2023 for pupils that have become eligible as a result of the permanent extension of free school meal eligibility. Added a link in 'Providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)' to the claims form which needs to be submitted by 11:59pm on 8 July 2022.

  8. Added a new guidance document on 'Providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)' and a sample application form.

  9. Updated to confirm manual checking arrangements for the self-employed.

  10. First published.

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