Scotland widens free school meals: £995 UC limit

Scotland has updated the rules on who can get a free school meal. From 1 April 2026, families on Universal Credit will qualify if their earned income in the last assessment period was £995 or less, and pupils will also qualify if their parents receive State Pension Credit. The Regulations were made on 21 January and laid before the Scottish Parliament on 23 January, with the start date set for the new school term after Easter.

If you’re on Universal Credit, your council will look at the most recent monthly ‘assessment period’ before you apply. If your earned income for that month was £995 or below, your child should be eligible for a free school lunch. Earned income here refers to what you received from work in that period; it doesn’t mean your Universal Credit payment.

For couples on a joint Universal Credit claim, your combined earned income for that assessment month must be £995 or below. A quick sense check helps: if you earned £610 and your partner earned £360 in the last UC period, you’re under the line; if together you earned £1,010, you’re over it for that month and would need to recheck in your next period.

A second change matters for grandparents caring for children. If a pupil’s parents are in receipt of State Pension Credit, the pupil now falls within the eligibility group for a free school lunch. That addition gives older carers and multi‑generation households a clearer route to support as living costs continue to bite.

It’s worth knowing why the number has moved. Scotland adjusts free school meal income limits to track rises in the National Living Wage so families don’t lose help just because pay rates edge up. In 2024 the Universal Credit earnings limit was £796, then it rose to £850 for 2025; the new £995 figure continues that approach, keeping support broadly in line with typical low‑paid hours. This pattern is set out in the 2024 and 2025 regulations and their impact papers from the Scottish Government.

Local authorities must provide a free school lunch to pupils who meet the legal test. That duty sits in section 53 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and is restated in the explanatory notes to recent regulations. In practice, schools will still ask families to apply so they can confirm eligibility and count pupils correctly for funding. (legislation.gov.uk)

Here’s how timing works for you. The new rules start on Wednesday 1 April 2026. If you’re near the old limit, it can be sensible to apply on or after that date so your council is checking your latest Universal Credit month against the £995 figure. If you applied in March, the council would assess you against the older 2025 limit for that application.

For teachers and school offices, plan ahead now. Update website pages and letters home by early March, train office staff on the ‘assessment period’ check, and be ready for a small rise in applications after Easter. A simple reminder in tutor time or assemblies can help pupils in secondary years bring in the right documents promptly.

Families often ask what to have ready. Keep your latest Universal Credit statement (the page showing earned income for the last assessment period), your child’s details, and any State Pension Credit award letter if that applies to your household. If you’re unsure what counts as ‘earned income’ on your UC account, message your work coach through your journal before you apply.

A bit of background helps us all read the change in context. In 2024, ministers lifted the Universal Credit earnings cap to £796; in 2025 they raised it to £850 to keep pace with the National Living Wage. The government’s equality and children’s rights assessments explain this yearly maintenance so families don’t slip out of eligibility because of wage increases. (legislation.gov.uk)

There’s also been a system shift. Tax credits stopped being an eligible route from 5 April 2025 as households moved onto Universal Credit, and older school lunch regulations were revoked. If you previously qualified via Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit, you’ll now be assessed under the Universal Credit rules instead. (legislation.gov.uk)

Finally, remember this sits alongside Scotland’s wider free school meal offer, which already covers all pupils in primaries 1 to 5 and provides other targeted support. For older pupils and most secondary families, these income‑tested rules continue to be the main doorway to a hot meal at lunchtime, so checking your UC month carefully really matters. (gov.scot)