Benefits Checked 2026-08-11

Free school meals eligibility (England)

£7,400/year net earned income threshold — ABOLISHED from Sept 2026: all Universal Credit households eligible
per year · valid 2018-04-01 → 2026-08-31

What is the Free school meals eligibility (England) right now?

The current figure is £7,400/year net earned income threshold — ABOLISHED from Sept 2026: all Universal Credit households eligible (per year), effective from 2018-04-01 to 2026-08-31, according to DfE / gov.uk. Last checked against the official source on 2026-08-11.

From September 2026 eligibility expands to all children in UC families — major change.

Official sourceDfE / gov.uk
Valid from2018-04-01
Valid to2026-08-31
Last checked2026-08-11
Machine-readableJSON for this figure

History

Previous values
£7,400 threshold from 2018-04-01

More Benefits figures

Universal Credit child elements · UC limited capability for work element (LCWRA) · UC childcare costs maximum · Local Housing Allowance rates (status) · all Benefits

This is data, not advice. Figures are republished from official sources with links and dates — always verify with the linked official source before acting.