A parent of a child attending any LGfL school can now use the following website to check their Free School Meals eligibility: https://fsm.lgfl.net/app 

To find out whether your child qualifies for Free School Meals, please fill in the details requested on this site.

The school receives additional funding ‘Pupil Premium’ which is designed to support children from lower income families. The amount the school receives is based on the number of parents who are eligible and apply for Free School Meals.

It is important that all our students who are eligible for Free School Meals register even if you have a packed lunch, as you may also be eligible for financial support with other school activities.

Who is eligible for benefite-based free school meals?

From the start of 2026 to 2027 academic year, FSM eligibility is expanded to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit, regardless of household earnings. Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits: Y

• Universal Credit
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance

A pupil is only eligible to receive a free school meal where both:

• a claim for this support has been made
• their eligibility has been verified by the school where they are enrolled or by the local authority

Households may also be entitled to a meal if they:

• are in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• receive the guarantee element of Pension Credit
• meet criteria set out in separate guidance for families with no recourse to public funds

Targeted FSM

Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less (the existing threshold for FSM prior to the expansion), will be eligible for targeted FSM. In addition to receiving free meals, pupils eligible for targeted FSM will attract pupil premium and other disadvantage funding for their schools. 

Pupil premium and other disadvantage funding is currently allocated in respect of pupils who are recorded in school census returns as eligible for FSM, or have been recorded as eligible for FSM in the past 6 years (referred to as Ever 6 FSM). From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, Ever 6 FSM will be based on targeted FSM. This cohort is also used for accountability purposes.

Other education entitlements previously linked to eligibility for FSM, such as the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) and the ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance, will also continue to be based on targeted FSM. 

Households qualifying for free meals because they are in receipt of support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 will also be eligible for targeted FSM.

Households in receipt of Income-related Employment and Support Allowance or the guarantee element of Pension Credit or households with families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) may also be eligible for targeted FSM.

Expanded FSM

Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit, with annual household earnings exceeding £7,400 will be entitled to expanded FSM (meals only).