It’s estimated around 500,000 more children nationally will now be eligible for free meals
Richard Ault Chief Feature Writer
05:00, 09 Jun 2025
Four in 10 pupils in Stoke-on-Trent are eligible for free school meals(Image: Chris Radburn/PA Wire)
More than 50,000 children will become eligible for free school meals in Bristol and the surrounding area from next year after an expansion of eligibility rules – see how many families will benefit where you live.
Extending the lifeline benefit to all children in families who get Universal Credit (UC) in England, could save parents up to £500 a year.
Currently, all children in England can get free school meals until the end of Year 2, but after that, they only qualify if their family earns less than £7,400 a year after benefits.
In a huge expansion, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has now announced that from September 2026, all children in UC households will be able to get a free lunch.
It means around 500,000 more children nationally will now be eligible for free meals, the government estimates.
In our area, a total of 52,120 children will now be eligible for school meals.
More children will benefit in the Bristol South constituency than anywhere else in our area. A total of 8,010 will now be eligible for free school meals.
In Bristol East, 6,860 children will be able to claim free meals and in Bristol North East, 5,780 will be able to eat for free during the school term.
You can use our digital map to see the number of kids who live in UC households by constituency, as an estimate for how many kids will be eligible for free school meals across the country.
Our digital map uses the most recent data available, which was published in November. Figures are subject to change ahead of the announcement coming into force in September next year. The data does not include infants who receive free lunches at nurseries.
Writing in the Mirror, Sir Keir said: “I want every child to have every opportunity and the best support to aim high, achieve good grades, and get the best education possible. That starts with the basics – it’s common sense that children can’t do well at school if they’re hungry.”
The PM said Thursday’s announcement was part of a broader package of provisions including breakfast clubs.
He described it as “a down payment on what I want to do in relation to child poverty”.
Campaigners and unions hailed the decision to widen free school meal provision as a “game changer” for families struggling with cost of living pressures.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “No child should ever have to go hungry due to their parents’ financial circumstances.”