Department for Education's pledge

From the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil whose household is on Universal Credit will have a new entitlement to free school meals.

Made under the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government, as GOV.UK labels it.

Made 2025-06-04 · Deadline start of the 2026 school year · Where it was made · archived copy · Government publication

What the official figures show

Pupils eligible for free school meals, England, January 2024 (baseline)

24.6%

2026-10-23 · Department for Education, Schools, pupils and their characteristics · receipt

Pupils eligible for free school meals, England, January 2026 (latest)

26.5%

2026-10-23 · Department for Education, Schools, pupils and their characteristics · receipt

These figures are repeated from their sources and update automatically. We don't say whether the pledge has been kept.