Free School Meals

Changes to Free School Meal (FSM) Eligibility and Checking from September 2026

From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to receive a Free School Meal.

There will be two categories of benefits-based Free School Meals as follows:

• Targeted FSM:  This will continue to be based on the existing threshold, covering pupils who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less.  In addition to receiving free meals, pupils eligible for targeted FSM, will attract Pupil Premium and other disadvantage funding for their schools.
• Expanded FSM:  This is a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit.  Pupils eligible for Expanded FSM will be entitled to a free meal only.

Ever 6 FSM Cohort:  Pupils who are, or have been, eligible for FSM over the last 6 years are part of the 'Ever6' FSM cohort.  Following the expansion of FSM, Ever 6 FSM will be based on targeted FSM.

Transition protection, which has been in effect since 1 April 2018, will end in July 2026.  From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, pupils will have to meet the eligibility criteria for FSM to continue receiving this provision. Eligibility for free meals will be kept under regular review through regular rechecks.  This means that some pupils currently protected may no longer qualify unless they meet the new eligibility rules at the point of checking.

From the start of the 2026 academic year, Free School Meals will be available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit.
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
• Receive the guarantee element of Pension Credit.
• Meet the criteria set out in separate guidance for families with no recourse to public funds.

How to Apply

If you think you qualify, login to your Arbor account and follow the instructions below to input the information we require.  Please send an email to dfuller@fhes.org.uk and pwright@fhes.org.uk  advising that you require a Free School Meal check.

• On the Home Page on the bottom left-hand side select the three black horizontal lines
• Scroll down under Main Dashboard to select Profile.
• Scroll down to Family Guardians and Contacts.
• Select Parent Name.
• Select Date of Birth and add details.
• Select National Insurance Number and add details.
• Press CONFIRM.

Alternatively, complete and return the Free School Meal Eligibility and Pupil Premium Application form which can be found under Downloads at the bottom of this page, or go to the Surrey County Council website to obtain a copy.  If you can't access the form or don't have a printer, please contact Mrs D Fuller, dfuller@fhes.org.uk and request a paper copy.

FREE SCHOOL MEAL ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION ARRANGEMENTS UNTIL JULY 2026

How to Apply

1. First, check the eligibility list below to see if you qualify.
2. If you think you qualify, complete and return the Free School Meal Eligibility and Pupil Premium Application form which can be found under Downloads at the bottom of this page, or go to the Surrey County Council website.  If you can't access the form or don't have a printer, please contact Mrs D Fuller, dfuller@fhes.org.uk and request a paper copy.
3. If you are eligible, your child will receive a daily allowance of £2.90 to spend on food in the school restaurant.  Please be aware that the FSM allowance does not show on the parent Arbor screen.  You will only see purchases if they exceed the daily allowance of £2.90.  From Monday to Friday, any unspent FSM daily allowance will roll over to the next day.  On Friday evening, any unspent monies from the week will be removed from the account and the new balance will start every Monday morning.

Eligibility Criteria

From 1 April 2018, free school meals in all Surrey maintained and free schools and academies are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
• 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 state Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you're not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.

LATEST UPDATE FROM SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL RE SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES DURING THE SCHOOL SUMMER HOLIDAYS 2026

As we approach the summer school holidays, we wanted to update you on the progress of the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), provided by the UK Government to support residents on low incomes who face sudden financial pressures, and to help build longer‑term financial resilience across communities. More information is available here: Crisis and Resilience Fund - Surrey County Council.

In the meantime, a range of support remains available for families over the summer and we’ve compiled details of some of these schemes including affordable days out, supermarket discount schemes and food banks here: Support with food costs for families - Surrey County Council.

The Holiday Activity and Food Programme - known as Club4 in Surrey - is also available to families in receipt of Targeted FSM, with bookings going live on Tuesday 30 June.

We are also awaiting further details on the UK Government’s recently announced Great British Summer Savings scheme, which is expected to include free bus travel for children and targeted food tariff reductions. More information:  Cost of living boost with free bus travel for children and targeted food tariff cuts - GOV.UK. This great initiative will help families and children travel for less this summer. We are working with our bus operators and will provide more updates soon. Until then, remember young people aged 20 and under can also apply for a LINK card to get 50% off adult bus fares in Surrey: Apply for a Surrey LINK bus card - Surrey County Council.

If you have any further questions about the Crisis and Resilience Fund support, you can email Surreycommunities@surreycc.gov.uk.

 

Further information about applying for Free School Meals and Pupil Premium can be found by clicking on the links below:

GOV.UK Apply for Free School Meals

GOV.UK Pupil Premium Overview 

Please talk to us about registering your child today if you’re not sure.