Free School Meals

From September 2026 all children from households on Universal Credit will be entitled to Free School Meals.

Under previous rules eligibility for free school meals was restricted to families with an annual income of under £7400.  However, existing claimants continued to receive school meals while Universal Credit was fully rolled out. Now that most claimants have been moved to UC, Free School Meals will end for any families not in receipt of UC in September.

Further guidance will be issued before September 2026.

Universal Credit - What's Changing

The government has made some changes to Universal Credit from April 2026, which include: 

• The personal allowance will go up by more than inflation every year until 2030

For new claimants from April 2026

• If you have a disability or health condition, and receive extra money (called LCWRA element) this will be around half the current rate.
• This won't happen if you are terminally ill or have a 'severe condition'

For people already getting UC:

• If you already get extra money because of your health condition the amount will stay the same (it won't go up with inflation) until after 2029/30
• Unless you are terminally ill or have a 'severe condition', in this case your extra money will go up with inflation

What is a “severe condition”?

To count as having a severe condition, a doctor must say that:

• You will always meet the rules for LCWRA,
• Your condition will last for the rest of your life,
• You are not expected to get better,
• A qualified NHS doctor has diagnosed your condition.

Welfare Rights Training

Did you know that anyone who works to support Derbyshire residents can access free on-line benefits training sessions from Derbyshire Welfare Rights? 

We offer courses for everyone from beginners to experienced advisers. You can book onto these courses online or email: benefits.training@derbyshire.gov.uk for more information. 

Case Study

A man suffering with severe arthritis who experiences constant pain made a claim for Personal Independence Payment but his claim was turned down.  He came to us for help and our adviser provided a written submission explaining the impact of pain on his ability to manage daily living tasks.  The appeal was heard by phone but the claim was still not successful. 

When we looked at the decision we identified some errors of law and applied to have the decision set aside.  This was agreed and a new hearing was arranged for the client to attend in person so that the tribunal could see him. This appeal was successful and dated back to the original claim in 2023.  The client reported that he would not have been able to continue without our help, and that the money would help pay for a new mattress and some additional treatments  that will help him manage his pain.