Universal Infant Free School Meals or Free School Meals?
Currently in the UK there are two different schemes running to support parents/carers.
First, is the Universal Infant Free School Meal scheme (UIFSM). This scheme provides funding for ALL children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to access a free daily school meal. This is a national scheme and the school is funded based on the number of children who have a school meal on Census Day. We will write to parents in these years in advance of each termly census to ask for their support in ensuring we obtain the maximum funding.
Secondly, there is the Free School Meals funding based on individual family circumstances such as income and whether a family is receiving benefits. The qualifying benefits to receive free school meals for children in Year 3 and over are detailed on the Central Bedfordshire Website.
Auto-enrolment
Since September 2025, children who qualify for free school meals are automatically enrolled. This means you don’t need to apply, Central Bedfordshire Council use information they already have, such as your Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit details, to automatically process an application on your behalf.
If they believe your child is likely to be eligible, they will:
If they've written to you and you’re happy for them to assess your application automatically, you don’t need to do anything.
From September 2026, all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit attending maintained schools and academies will be entitled to receive a free meal. This includes pupils in school-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools, if they attend before and after lunch.
Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less, will be eligible for targeted free school meals.
In addition to receiving free meals, pupils eligible for targeted free school meals will attract pupil premium and other disadvantage funding for their schools.
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 free school meals.
You will also receive support from the school in the form of trip subsidies. The school receives a grant each year known as Pupil Premium and this grant is based on the number of children who are in receipt of the means based Free School Meals. Please follow link below.
Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit, with annual household earnings exceeding £7,400 will be entitled to expanded free school meals. They will receive free meals, but will not qualify for other educational entitlements such as HAF, and their schools will not receive a pupil premium for them.
Alternatively, you can phone the school if you have any questions.