Make sure your school is aware of how expanding FSM affects your policy
Since September 2026, eligibility for free school meals (FSM) has been extended to all pupils from households receiving Universal Credit.
A DfE representative has confirmed to us that the parents/carers of pupils eligible for FSM under the new extended criteria are eligible to have board and lodging costs remitted on trips for which schools are not permitted to charge.
Where a pupil has become newly eligible for FSM because of the extended eligibility criteria, after their parents/carers have already paid for board and lodging on a residential trip that hasn't yet taken place, your school should refund them in order to comply with your legal requirements. There is no requirement for the parent to be refunded if entitlement arises only after the trip has taken place.