Fair Education Alliance welcomes expansion of Free School Meals to children on Universal Credit

The Fair Education Alliance has welcomed today’s announcement from the Government that all children in households receiving Universal Credit will be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) from the start of the 2026 school year.

This major policy shift reflects a key recommendation in the FEA’s Priorities for a New Government, which called for urgent action to reduce the educational impact of child poverty. Expanding FSM to all children on Universal Credit is a vital step toward that goal.

Gina Cicerone, CEO of the Fair Education Alliance, said:

“We are pleased to see the Government taking this bold and long-needed step. Expanding Free School Meals to all children whose families receive Universal Credit is a crucial intervention that will ease pressure on parents and help reduce the devastating effects of poverty on children and young people.  

This policy aligns with our long-standing call to address the deep and growing inequalities facing children across England. By tackling hunger in schools, we remove one of the most immediate and preventable barriers to learning.”

While the Fair Education Alliance welcomes this progress, it is also urging the Government to take the next logical step: ensuring that no eligible child misses out due to administrative hurdles.

“We would have liked to see this policy implemented immediately,  but we hope the delay to 2026 means the Government will take the time to introduce automatic enrolment for Free School Meals, so that support reaches every eligible child without delay or bureaucracy.”

Gina Cicerone, CEO of the Fair Education Alliance

The Fair Education Alliance remains committed to working with the Government to ensure that this rollout is as effective, equitable, and far-reaching as possible, and will continue to advocate for education policy that breaks down the barriers poverty creates in children’s lives.