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Guidance

Evidence of eligibility for free school meals (Annex B)

Updated 8 May 2026

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools-and-local-authorities/evidence-of-eligibility-for-free-school-meals-annex-b

Assessment of earnings for Universal Credit recipients

Applicants for free school meals who are in receipt of Universal Credit must have an equivalent annual net earned income of no more than £7,400 in order to be eligible for targeted free school meals.

The monthly checking arrangements outlined here are designed to take into account claimants whose earnings may fluctuate on a monthly basis. 

What to check

  1. Firstly, a Universal Credit claimant will be checked for monthly net earned income not exceeding £616.67 (a twelfth of an equivalent yearly income of £7,400) in their most recent Universal Credit assessment period. If they meet this criterion, they are eligible for free school meals and no further checks are necessary.

  2. If their earned income exceeds the above threshold for their most recent Universal Credit assessment period, the claimant will be checked for net earned income not exceeding £1,233.34 (a sixth of an equivalent yearly income of £7,400) in their 2 most recent Universal Credit assessment periods, provided there are 2 such assessment periods. If they meet this criterion, they are eligible for free school meals and no further checks are necessary.

  3. If their earned income exceeds the above threshold for their 2 most recent Universal Credit assessment periods, the claimant will be checked for net earned income not exceeding £1,850 (a quarter of an equivalent yearly income of £7,400) in their 3 most recent Universal Credit assessment periods, provided there are three such assessment periods. If they meet this criterion, they are eligible for free school meals.

Only complete assessment periods will be checked. 

Claimants with annual earnings of more than £7,400 will be eligible for expanded FSM.

Self employed claimants

A manual check will be required to determine eligibility for self-employed Universal Credit claimants.

These claimants will need to provide evidence that: 

  • they are in receipt of Universal Credit, by providing their Universal Credit award letter
  • they are self-employed, by providing a copy of either their:
    • company registration
    • tax return form
  • their monthly net earnings do not exceed the threshold as set out here

Schools should request that self-employed claimants complete the self-declaration provided alongside this guidance (Annex C).

Once satisfied that they are eligible, schools should provide free school meals to their child or children.

Schools or local authorities seeking further guidance on this process can contact the eligibility checking system helpdesk.

Alternative evidence

If a parent feels that the result returned by the DfE digital checking system is inaccurate, they may provide the equivalent paper-based evidence to their school or local authority, who must then complete a manual check.

Applicants must provide appropriate paper-based evidence from the list here. Local authorities can award free school meals if they are satisfied that the paper-based evidence demonstrates that the eligibility criteria are met. Evidence should be retained for audit purposes. 

For Universal Credit recipients, this check should assess whether the earned income from the months provided is at or below the thresholds stated above for the relevant assessment periods.  Where a claimant for FSM is at or below the above thresholds, they will be eligible for targeted FSM.

If a claimant is confirmed to be in receipt of Universal Credit, but has earnings exceeding the above thresholds, they will be eligible for expanded FSM. In both instances, claimants will be entitled to receive free meals.

For families that might be eligible for free school meals under Universal Credit, applicants should provide a copy of their Universal Credit award statement (from their most recent assessment period(s) – going back a maximum of 3 assessment periods).

The 3 relevant Universal Credit assessment periods would be the 3 complete assessment periods which immediately preceded the date on which the parent requests free school meals. 

Documentation to check

Families should provide any of the following evidence to demonstrate entitlement to FSM under other criteria:

  • a letter from Jobcentre Plus confirming eligibility or Income Support payment book
  • a letter from the Home Office confirming receipt of this support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • a ‘Pension Credit M1000 Award Notice’ clearly showing details of any guarantee Pension Credit in payment

Families with no recourse to public funds

Further details on eligibility for free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) are available.

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