Free School Meals

From September 2026, eligibility for free school meals is being expanded.

Under the Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, which became law in April 2026, all children whose families receive Universal Credit will be entitled to a free school meal. This change means that many more families will now qualify.

Types of Free School Meal Entitlement

There are now two categories of benefits-based free school meals:

Targeted Free School Meals (FSM)

This category applies to pupils whose families receive Universal Credit and have annual household earnings of £7,400 or less. In addition to free school meals, eligible pupils may also qualify for other educational benefits, including:

  • Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme
  • Extended rights to school travel assistance

Expanded Free School Meals (FSM)

This new category applies to pupils whose families receive Universal Credit but have annual household earnings above £7,400. Eligible pupils will receive free school meals but will not qualify for the additional benefits associated with Targeted FSM.

Applying for Free School Meals

All applications for free school meals must be made through Kent County Council (KCC).

KCC is responsible for checking eligibility and processing applications. If your application is successful, KCC will notify the school directly.

For further information or to apply, please visit: Free School Meals – Kent County Council

Do You Need to Reapply?

Previously, children who qualified for free school meals had their entitlement protected, meaning they could continue to receive free school meals even if their family’s circumstances changed.

If you have already successfully applied for free school meals through Kent County Council, you do not need to reapply.

However, if your child joined Bridge School from a primary school that used a different free school meals checking service, you will need to submit a new application through KCC. As Bridge School uses KCC’s eligibility checking system, applications made through other providers will not appear on their records.

Annual Eligibility Checks

Kent County Council carries out annual eligibility checks for all pupils receiving free school meals. These checks confirm whether families continue to meet the relevant eligibility criteria.