Any child in England whose parents receive Universal Credit will be able to claim free school meals from September 2026, the government has said. Parents on the credit will be eligible regardless of their income. Currently, their household must earn less than £7,400 a year to qualify. The government says the change will make 500,000 more pupils eligible.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told the BBC ministers were “working as quickly as we can” on next year’s plans to extend free school meals. She said the changes to free school meals would save parents £500 a year and “lift 100,000 children out of poverty”.