27/08/2026
FUNDING ELIGIBILITY - PLEASE READ
We would like to make you aware of upcoming, Nationwide changes to Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility that may have a significant impact on future BNHF delivery periods..
From September 2026, there will be three categories of Free School Meals:
1 - Targeted Free School Meals:
For children receiving benefits-related Free School Meals where annual household income is below £7,400.
These children WILL remain eligible for funded places through the BNHF programme.
2 - Expanded Free School Meals:
For families receiving Universal Credit with an annual household income above £7,400.
These children will receive free school meals but WILL NOT be eligible for funded BNHF places.
3 - Universal Free School Meals:
Available to all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.
Receipt of Universal Free School Meals alone DOES NOT qualify a child for a funded BNHF place, although some children may also meet the criteria for Targeted or Expanded Free School Meals.
In addition, the protected status currently applied to benefits-related Free School Meals will end in September 2026. This means that some children who have previously been eligible for funded holiday programme places, including those attending this summer, may no longer meet the eligibility criteria for future programmes if their family circumstances have changed.
As a result, the county council anticipate that the number of eligible children across the county may reduce. This is particularly important because the Local Authority's annual funding allocation from the Department for Education (DfE) is based on the number of children eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals. A reduction in eligible children is therefore likely to result in a decrease in available funding for future financial years and could impact the scale and reach of future holiday programme delivery.
We have been asked to encourage families to apply for benefits-related Free School Meals where appropriate, even if their child is already receiving Universal Free School Meals. Ensuring eligible families are registered not only helps them access available support but also helps secure future funding for the programme as a whole.
