Free School Meals Check Service

Is your child eligible for Free School Meals?

Children in Birmingham qualify for free school meals (FSM) under an expanded national framework introduced in September 2026, which removes the previous household earnings threshold for Universal Credit recipients.

Eligibility Criteria

Your child is eligible for free school meals if your household receives Universal Credit, regardless of your annual earnings.

Eligibility also remains open for families receiving other qualifying benefits:

Income Support

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act of 1999

The Guarantee element of Pension Credit

Child Tax Credit (providing you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than specific limits, or receive Working Tax Credit run-on) [1, 2]

Targeted vs. Expanded Categories

The 2026 rules divide recipients into two verification types during checks:

Targeted Free School Meals: For lower-income thresholds (traditionally under £7,400 net earnings via Universal Credit), which qualify the student for a free meal and secure extra school funding (Pupil Premium).

Expanded Free School Meals: For Universal Credit households earning above the traditional threshold, which provides a free meal but does not automatically trigger additional school funding.

What to do next?
If your application for Free School Meals is successful, Bells Farm Primary will also receive extra funding from the Government to use in support of teaching and learning (Pupil Premium).

Apply online – click here.

Need help?
Parent/Carer help