The way that Free School Meals are being verified is changing and as a result:
All families who currently receive free school meals need to reapply BEFORE September 2026.
From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to receive a free meal.
If you do not already receive free school meals but do receive Universal Credit, then you can apply as you may receive them going forward.
This is a legal requirement through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026.
Going forward, there will be 2 categories of benefits-based free school meals:
- Targeted FSM, which continues to be based on the existing threshold, covering pupils who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less
- Expanded FSM, a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit
What you need to do now:
If you think you are eligible for free school meals,
Applications should be made on-line to Derby City Council at:
https://www.derby.gov.uk/education-and-learning/schools-and-colleges/free-school-meals
Please do not apply to the school, as this will delay your application.
You will need to provide some personal information, such as your national insurance number.
Once you have completed your form you will receive an e-mail confirming your application. It takes approximately 5 working days to process. You will then receive another e-mail to confirm whether you are eligible for free school meals.
You do not need to contact the school. Derby City Council provide us with access to this information.
Who is eligible for free school meals?
From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, FSM eligibility is expanding 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:
- Universal Credit
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
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 local authority
Households may also be entitled to a meal if they:
- are in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- receive the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- meet criteria set out in separate guidance for ‘families with no recourse to public funds’
If you are currently in receipt of Free School Meals or think you may be eligible, please complete the application as soon as possible to ensure that you child(ren) are able to receive their school meals.
Here at Saint Benedict, we use a cashless system for meals, and pupils have a biometric account. If your child has a free lunch, then your child’s account is credited every day. The system is anonymous, so this means that none of your child’s peers will know if they receive a free meal.
We allow students to spend their free meal money from 11:00. We provide a full hot and cold meal service. The main part of which is a weekly menu that is made up of two main hot meals of the day and a vegetarian hot meal of the day, with a choice of potatoes and vegetables, and a hot pudding with custard. We also have a salad and jacket potato bar, a sandwich bar, a pasta bar and a deli where the students can buy a variety of goods from sandwiches and drinks, to fruit and soup. An example of a weekly menu may be found on the school’s website.
All of our lunchtime food is homemade here in our kitchen and not just cooked from frozen. All our sandwiches, and wraps are made here by our dedicated and hard working staff. We also make all our own cakes and biscuits.
By using our lunchtime service you can put your mind at rest, safe in the knowledge that your child has had a healthy, hot and nutritious meal here at school; they may only need a snack type supper in the evening, saving you time and money.
If your child receives free school meals the virtual credit is put onto their account daily. Students must be in attendance to receive the benefit. Any unused funds are removed at the end of the day. Funds do no ‘roll over’ to the next day.
The Free School Meal allocation does not display as a physical amount on the students account, but any funds spent from the allocation will show as a zero amount.
