Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to ensure equity for children in households with no recourse to public funds in the expansion of eligibility for free school meals from September.

The department has permanently extended free school meal eligibility to children in all households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), provided they meet income thresholds set out in public guidance.

This ensures that children can access support regardless of their background or circumstances, including the immigration status of their parents.

The income thresholds for NRPF households were designed to account for the differences in household income between NRPF households and those with access to additional state support to ensure parity.

The government has set out plans to extend free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. We continue to keep all aspects of the free school meals system, including the guidance for families with no recourse to public funds, under review.