The warning was reported by Swindon24 on Thursday 11 June 2026. Under changes announced by the Government for the whole of England, new free school meal rules were due to start at the beginning of the school year in September 2026, and children already on benefits-based free school meals would not keep them automatically.
Councillor Kate Tomlinson, Swindon Borough Council's cabinet member for children and education, told families: "you will need to submit a new application before the start of the new school year."
What was changing?
- All children in households receiving Universal Credit would qualify, whatever the household income.
- Transitional protections in place since 2018, which let some children keep free meals after household income rose, were to end.
- Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 would still get universal infant free school meals whatever their household income.
The two categories
- Targeted free school meals: Universal Credit households earning £7,400 a year or less, plus certain other qualifying benefits. These children would also keep access to the Holiday Activities and Food programme in the school holidays.
- Expanded free school meals: Universal Credit households earning more than £7,400 a year. These children would get a free school lunch but not the holiday programme.
Families who might qualify were encouraged to apply through the council's free school meals service, partly because successful claims bring extra funding to schools. Cllr Tomlinson said: "it's important that families don't miss out on the support they're entitled to."
Source: Swindon24.