Your child, or children, may be eligible to claim Free School Meals if you are on a low income and receive a qualifying benefit.

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 can receive universal infant free school meals, and this is not linked to your income. If you meet the eligibility for targeted Free School Meals your child’s school could receive additional funding.

Please see our eligibility page for more detail on who qualifies. 

The council’s Let's Dine team work in partnership with our schools to provide a healthy and nutritionally-balanced meal in an enjoyable lunchtime experience. More information can be found on our Let’s Dine web page.

We also administer the Free School Meals application process for a number of schools outside of our borough.

Free School Meals

Last updated : 14 August 2026

National changes from September 2026 expand the eligibility to Free School Meals to all households in receipt of Universal Credit. There are two categories of eligibility - targeted and expanded. They both give eligibility to a Free School Meal but if you meet the targeted criteria your child’s school will also receive additional funding through the Pupil Premium. The changes also bring an end to transitional protection - please continue reading this page for details.

Your child, or children, may qualify for Free School Meals if you meet the following criteria:

You or your partner (if you have one) have a child for whom you receive Child Benefit and who is attending a school or college in Telford and Wrekin, and you get any of the following:

  • Universal Credit
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

If your family has No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) you may also be entitled to Free School Meals if your income is under £22,700 for families with one child or under £26,300 for families with two or more children. Your capital must also be below £16,000. We will require evidence of all your income and capital. If you are a family with NRPF and you think you may qualify please contact the Free School Meals Team or your child’s school to apply.

Each school receives a weekly list showing the names of all children who are entitled to Free School Meals.

Income will be checked annually before the start of each school year.

The Two Categories of Free School Meals

Targeted Free School Meals

Families receiving Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance, Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 or families who meet the above No Recourse to Public Funds income and capital thresholds.

Pupils who are eligible to receive Targeted Free School Meals will be able to register for the Happy, Healthy Active Holiday clubs. It won’t cost anything to attend and each club has a range of fun activities and a nutritious meal each day. For more details and to register please visit the Happy Healthy Active Holidays website.

Schools will also receive extra funding through the Pupil Premium for those pupils eligible for Targeted Free School Meals.

Expanded Free School Meals

A new category providing entitlement to a free school meal for pupils who do not qualify for Targeted Free School Meals but who live in households receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings of more than £7,400.

End of Transitional Protection

Since 1 April 2018, all existing free school meals claimants have continued to receive free school meals whilst Universal Credit is rolled out. This applied regardless of any change in household circumstances, including if their earnings rise above the threshold during that time or if entitlement to one of the qualifying benefits ends.

This was called Transitional Protection. Protections remained in place until the end of the 2025/26 school year. At the end of the 2025/26 school year, all free school meal claims have been checked for eligibility, and those who do not meet the criteria will not be entitled to free school meals.

We have sent emails (or a letter if we don’t hold an email address) to those families whose eligibility check shows their entitlement has ended asking them to check if our records are correct.

Last updated : 14 August 2026

To apply for Free School Meals or the Pupil Premium, please complete our online web form:

Complete our online form to apply for Free School Meals

If your application is successful, we will notify you so that you know your child (or children) have entitlement to Free School Meals. We will also notify their school (or schools).

If you have a child who is aged three of four years and in funded childcare, the childcare setting may be able to claim extra funding to support your child. More details can be found by visiting our Early Years Pupil Premium pages.

Last updated : 1 October 2024

Telford & Wrekin Council is introducing a process to identify pupils who are entitled to benefit-related Free School Meals (FSM) but not yet registered. This is called Opt-out Auto-award (also known as auto-enrolment). As part of the process, we will use and process your information to confirm eligibility. If you have any questions about the process please read our Frequently Asked Questions.

For more information on why we collect and use your information, please read our Privacy Notice for FSM Opt-out Auto-award on this page.

Free School Meals Opt-out Auto-award Privacy Notice under the General Data Protection Regulations 2018

This Privacy Notice is designed to help you understand how the Telford and Wrekin Council’s Free School Meals (FSM) team will use and process your information to administer the free school meals Opt-out Auto-award scheme. The details will outline:

  1. Why we collect and use your information
  2. The type of information we process
  3. Who we share your data with
  4. The legal basis for processing your information
  5. How long will we hold your personal data
  6. Your rights and how to opt-out
  7. Exercising your rights or contacting us
  8. Your right to complain.

This Privacy Notice should be read alongside our Terms and disclaimer. 

1. Why we collect and use your information

Under the Education Act 1996, local authorities and schools have a statutory duty to provide free school meals to eligible pupils whose parents or carers receive certain qualifying benefits.

Children are entitled to a FSM if their parents receive certain qualifying benefits. Telford and Wrekin is introducing a process to identify pupils who are entitled to benefit-related FSM but not yet registered. This is called Opt-out Auto-award (also known as auto-enrolment).

We do this by securely matching pupil data with benefits records. This ensures that eligible children are registered for FSM in time for the School Census and maximises associated school funding.

We process this data to:

  • Check your child’s eligibility for FSM.
  • Notify you of your child’s entitlement and give you the opportunity to opt-out of the process.
  • Notify your child’s school of their entitlement (if you do not opt-out) so they can be officially registered for this benefit.
  • Carry out regular checks to confirm ongoing eligibility.
  • Respond to any queries or concerns you may raise.

What happens if you do not opt-out?

If you do not opt-out within the specified timeframe, your child will be automatically enrolled to receive free school meals as part of the School Census.

What if you choose not to provide your personal data?

We require this personal information to perform the data-matching process. If this information is not available, we will be unable to automatically process or confirm your child’s entitlement through this scheme.

2. The type of information we process

We process personal information that Telford and Wrekin Council already holds, including:

  • Parent/Carer (the claimant): Full name, home address, contact details, date of birth, National Insurance number, and details of qualifying benefits claimed.
  • Child: Full name, date of birth, and the school or academy they attend.
    This data is collected from our census and parent/carer records from schools and academies. We will match this to data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to confirm entitlement. 

3. Who we share your data with 

We will share your personal data with the following organisations/partners:

  • Your child’s school or academy
  • Other departments within the council as deemed necessary for this project
  • The Department for Education (DfE) as part of the School Census and Benefits registration process.

We will not share any of your personal data collected with other external organisations unless required to do so by law. However, there may be occasions where we request further information from key third party organisations such as Health or Provider organisations. For further details on the council’s privacy arrangements, please view the Privacy page on the council’s website.

4. The legal basis for processing your information

We process this information under the following lawful bases of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and UK legislation:

  • UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e) (Public Task): Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official functions vested in the Council.
  • UK GDPR Article 9(2)(g) - Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.
  • Localism Act 2011 (Section 1 - General Power of Competence): Provides local authorities with the power to act innovatively to meet local community needs and invest in the well-being of children. This includes offering Free School Meals to pupils whose families receive Universal Credit.
  • Education Act 1996 (Section 512ZB): Local authorities and schools are required to provide free school meals to eligible pupils. To assess eligibility, the local authority needs to confirm receipt of qualifying benefits (such as Universal Credit).
  • UK GDPR Article 21 (Right to Object): Gives individuals the right to object to the processing of their data. Parents and carers may object within 7–14 days of receiving opt-out communications. If they do so, their response will be documented and their child removed from the dataset.

Telford and Wrekin Council and your child’s school act as ‘data controllers’ for any personal data you provide. We ensure that your data is processed in line with our data protection policies and your rights under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the EU General Data Protection Regulations.

For more information, please contact our Information Governance Office.

5. How long will we hold your personal data

We retain personal data only as long as necessary, in line with our record retention schedules, for 6 years and the current year. At the end of the retention period, information is reviewed and securely destroyed unless required for statutory or legal purposes.

Data may be held longer in exceptional circumstances, such as an active complaint, an ongoing legal claim, or if required by law. 

6. Your rights and how to opt-out

Under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the EU General Data Protection Regulations you have the right to:

  • Right of access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to rectification: Request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Right to object: Object to the processing of your data or withdraw your consent to any processing that is solely reliant upon your consent.

Should you wish to exercise any of your rights, you should contact the Information Governance Team at Telford and Wrekin Council. Details for making contact can be found at the end of this document. 

How to opt-out

As an entitled child’s parent/carer, you have the right to object to this processing.

  1. Opt-out communications will be sent to you via email or post from council.
  2. You will have 7 to 14 days to object.
  3. If you choose to opt-out, your decision will be securely documented, your child(ren) will be removed from the data matching set, and you will receive no further communication regarding this specific exercise. Financial and life circumstances can change. If you opt-out, but your child remains eligible and unregistered 2 years later, we reserve the right to contact you again to refresh your decision and check if you would like to opt into the service.

7. Exercising your rights or contacting us

If you have questions about this Privacy Notice, wish to exercise any of your data rights, or want to submit an opt-out request, please contact us:

  • By email: freeschoolmeals@telford.gov.uk
  • In writing: Free School Meals Team, Telford & Wrekin Council, Darby House, Lawn Central, Telford, TF3 4JA
  • By telephone: 01952 383983

You can directly contact the council Data Protection Officer via the email or postal address in the section below.

8. Your right to complain

If you are unhappy with how your personal data has been handled, please write to our Data Protection Officer, outlining your concerns. Your complaint will be investigated in accordance with the Council’s customer feedback procedure.

Information Governance Team and the Data Protection Officer can be contacted:

If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). You can contact them by visiting their website at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

Last updated : 14 August 2026

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) on Free School Meals (FSM) Auto-enrolment

We have put together some questions you may have and answers. If you would like clarification on these responses or have more questions to ask, please reach out to freeschoolmeals@telford.gov.uk.

Not sure if this applies to you?

We are looking to identify children who are eligible for free school meals but aren’t currently registered to receive them. If your child has been identified through this process, you should have received a letter or an email from the council.

If you haven’t been contacted by 23 of August, and believe your child is entitled to free school meals, please make an application, and the council will check your child’s eligibility for you.

General questions

This process identifies and registers entitled primary, and secondary pupils for free school meals (FSM) unless families choose not to participate.

If you receive certain benefits, your child/children’s school or academy might be able to claim extra funding from the government. This is called Pupil Premium. This extra money helps schools to provide extra support to children but isn’t specific to one child.

From the start of the school year 2026 to 2027, all children in households receiving Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals, regardless of earnings.

Going forward, there will be two types of eligibility:

  • Targeted FSM: for households in receipt of Universal Credit earning £7,400 or less (includes free meals and additional support such as pupil premium). Other educational entitlements such as the Happy Healthy Active Holidays and the ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance will also continue to be based on targeted FSM.
  • Expanded FSM: school-aged children from households in receipt of universal credit earning above £7,400 will benefit from free meals.

All pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 are entitled to free school meals under the universal infant free school meals policy regardless of family circumstances. 

If your child is attending reception, year 1 and year 2 and you have been contacted by the council as part of the auto-enrolment process, your family has been identified as ‘Targeted’ type of eligibility. 

Families with ‘Targeted’ type of eligibility should register for free school meals as your child’s school will receive additional Pupil Premium funding which isn’t available unless your child is registered for FSM.

This is the Department for Education’s tool used to confirm free school meals entitlement. The ECE is already used in Telford & Wrekin to check individual applications for free school meals.

Eligibility is reviewed annually. If your circumstances change and you're no longer eligible, we'll let you know in good time. 

If your circumstances change and your child becomes eligible during the school year, please make an application and the council will check your child’s eligibility for you.

Is my child eligible?

If you get particular benefits, your child/children may be entitled to get government-funded free school meals. 

Find out from the government who is eligible for free school meals.

Our opt-out auto-award process will pick up children who are entitled to FSM through their parents and carers' qualifying benefits. You don’t have to do anything, as long as you aren’t choosing to opt out.

If you haven’t received a letter from the council by 23 of August, please make an application, and the council will check your eligibility for you.

If you receive qualifying benefits, please make an application.

Free school meal funding is linked to the school your child attends. If your child is enrolled at a school in the Borough of Telford and Wrekin, they may qualify for funding. However, because you do not live in Telford and Wrekin, we do not hold the information needed to assess your household's eligibility.

The email/letter from the council

You have received a letter because we know that you are a parent/carer with a child/children who may be at school. 

You do not appear to have a current Free School Meal award for your dependents, and we think you may be entitled to one.

If your child/children already receive free school meals, this work won’t affect that, and you will not receive a letter. 

If your child/children aren’t currently receiving free school meals and you have not received a letter, your household and child/ children have not been identified as eligible for free school meals. 

However, it may be because we have incorrect information - if you believe you are entitled, please make an application, and the council will check your eligibility for you.

In a small number of cases we don’t hold enough information to be able to fully check or register your eligibility. If you receive an email/letter asking you to make an application if you receive one of the qualifying benefits, please make an application.

Please inform the Telford & Wrekin Free School Meals team freeschoolmeals@telford.gov.uk to opt out, as our records show your child attending school within Telford and Wrekin.

You can get in touch with your child’s school to make sure that they are registered to receive free school meals. 

Free school meal funding in England is linked to the location of the school.

Colleges manage their own free school meals registration process. Please contact the college to apply for free school meals.

Please also inform the Telford & Wrekin Free School Meals team freeschoolmeals@telford.gov.uk to opt out.

Meals and dietary concerns

Yes. They will receive the same meals as other children. The only difference is that they will not be paying for the meals. They will not be treated any differently at school. 

Your child's privacy is fully protected - only the school knows they're eligible, and no details about your benefits or circumstances are shared with them apart from that you are entitled to FSM.

Yes. Registering doesn't commit your child to anything. It means the flexibility of a free meal is there for them whenever they want it. There's no obligation to take the meal every day, or at all.

Yes. Free school meals accommodate special diets. Speak to your child's school for more information.

Your rights

The data matching exercise does involve the processing of your personal data, but we do this because the Council has a duty to provide free school meals to entitled children and to help families access the support that they are entitled to.

You have the right to opt out of your child being registered to receive free school meals (also known as the right to object). 

When the check is repeated next year, and you have objected to this process before, you need to object again next year because we won't know if your circumstances have changed.

If you would like to opt out, email us at freeschoolmeals@telford.gov.uk. Tell us your name, address, child’s name, and confirm that you do not want your child to receive FSM.

Last updated : 14 August 2026