Eligibility for free school meals
Eligibility for benefits-based free school meals
Eligibility criteria
The eligibility criteria for free meals can be found at Free school meals | East Sussex County Council.
From September 2026 there will be two benefits-based FSM categories:
- Targeted FSM covering pupils who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less (existing threshold). These children will attract Pupil Premium and be eligible for the HAF programme.
- Expanded FSM covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit. They will only receive free meals and do not attract Pupil Premium or be eligible for the HAF programme.
Children must attend school both before and after the lunch period to receive a free meal. Please do not supply a free meal until entitlement has been verified by the Free School Meals team.
Reasonable adjustments and making alternatives
Schools are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils to ensure they are not put at a substantial disadvantage in relation to accessing meals. Schools are best placed to determine the exact nature of a reasonable adjustment in relation to food provision, taking into account the individual circumstances of the child and their family, as well as schools’ obligations under the school food standards.
It is good practice for the school to make a record of what reasonable adjustments have been agreed and ensure that all staff who work with the individual pupil are aware.
Schools should similarly take appropriate action in supporting pupils to access food provision in cases where the pupil has a food allergy or dietary requirement.
Schools Access Module (SAM)
Schools with access to SAM (excluding academies that process FSM applications) can view a child’s FSM status in SAM.
Please read the guidance free schools meals in SAM [969.7 KB] [pdf] about how to use SAM including how to generate your own report.
