Cornwall Council is introducing a new process to help more eligible children receive free school meals without families needing to apply.
Called the Free School Meals (FSM) Auto Award, the new process automatically checks whether some children are eligible for free school meals and enrols them if they qualify.
The Council will use information it already holds to identify children who may qualify, including those who currently receive free meals and households that receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support from Cornwall Council.
Families do not need to take any action at this stage. The Council will contact families who are identified through the automatic checking process and explain any next steps.
The change comes ahead of new national eligibility rules being introduced by the Department for Education from September this year.
Under the new rules, all households receiving Universal Credit will be eligible for free school meals, with the current household income threshold being removed. Eligibility will also be reviewed at the start of each academic year.
Families identified through the process, as well as current free school meal recipients, will be contacted this month (July 2026).
They will have the opportunity to opt out if they do not wish the Council to carry out an eligibility check. Where eligibility is confirmed, children will be automatically enrolled to receive free school meals.
Parents and carers who are not identified through the Auto Award process, or whose circumstances change during the year, can still apply through the online Parent Portal.
Cllr Hilary Frank, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families, said:
“A healthy meal during the school day can help children concentrate, feel well and get the most from their education. That’s why we want to make sure every child in Cornwall who is entitled to free school meals receives them.
“Families already have enough to think about without having to navigate unnecessary paperwork. By using information we already hold, we’re making the process as simple as possible and helping to make sure more children receive the support they are entitled to.”
For more information about free school meals and the new Auto Award process, visit the School Meals webpages on the Council's website.