Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children will cease to be eligible for free school meals following the expiry of transitional protections.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. It will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

The department is absolutely clear that no pupil with transitional protections will lose their entitlement to free meals before the new entitlement to free meals is introduced.

The department’s published statistics show that over half a million more children will benefit from a free meal, after accounting for the removal of transitional protections: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/estimate-of-additional-children-claiming-free-school-meals-following-expansion-of-eligibility/2025.