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Eligibility Criteria

The It’s About Me programme is primarily for children in primary or secondary school who receive benefits-related free school meals. All those who are eligible for the programme through their FSM status, will receive a unique booking code from their child’s school.

If you haven’t received your code, but believe your child is eligible for the programme, please contact your child’s school.

 

FREE SCHOOL MEAL ELIGIBLITY

You must be in receipt of one of the below benefits to be eligible for free school meals for your child/children:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
  • Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit – if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

 

If you think you may be eligible for Free School Meals, please contact your child’s school or apply for Free School Meals. Many holiday clubs are also available to any children not eligible for and in receipt of free school meals, who can pay to attend.

 

2026 FSM Expansion

For 2026 to 2027, the It’s About Me programme will remain in line with the existing FSM threshold, for the whole of the delivery year.

This means that from September 2026, when the new FSM expansion takes place, the It’s About Me programme will not be expanded to children from households in receipt of Universal Credit for this delivery period.

For further clarification:

  • children who become newly eligible for FSM in September 2026 due to the expansion to households on Universal Credit, but are above the existing FSM threshold, do not become eligible for the It’s About Me programme
  • children who become newly eligible for FSM under the existing threshold will become eligible for the It’s About Me programme