Thousands more children to receive free school meals

Thousands of children across Devon and Cornwall will soon get free school meals thanks to changes in the rules.

Families in Torbay Council and Devon County Council areas will now be automatically enrolled for free school meals if they meet the criteria, meaning parents no longer have to apply. 

The change means that around 1,300 pupils who were entitled to free meals but weren’t receiving them will now benefit automatically. Families can still choose to opt out if they prefer.

Cornwall Council will also introduce automatic enrolment from September 2026, helping an additional 1,800 pupils.

In June, the government announced that from September 2026, all children whose parents receive universal credit will be entitled to free school meals.

Currently, only children from households earning less than £7,400 a year, after tax and excluding benefits, qualify. The new rules mean an extra 500,000 children across England will receive a free, nutritious meal every school day.

The government says the expansion will help improve academic attainment, behaviour, and wellbeing, and could lift 100,000 children out of poverty.

Can your child get free school meals?

Your child could get free school meals if you get benefits including:

• income support
• income-based jobseeker’s allowance
• income-related employment and support allowance
• support under part VI of the immigration and asylum act 1999
• the guaranteed element of pension credit
• child tax credit (provided you’re not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• working tax credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for working tax credit
• universal credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Families who qualify for benefits-related free school meals may also be eligible for holiday food vouchers to help with costs during school holidays.

How to apply

If you’re not sure whether your child qualifies for free school meals, then get in touch with your local council directly. 

In most areas, you can apply through your local authority’s website, which you can find at www.gov.uk.

You can also speak to Citizens Advice or your school if you need extra financial support.

Are you getting all the benefits you’re entitled to?

Check if you’re missing out on any other benefits. 

Get in touch to find out what support you could be able to get, or you can try our benefits calculator.