Around 290,000 disadvantaged under-fives in private, voluntary and independent (PVI) early years settings will miss out on the free school meals expansion, according to a new Bremner & Co report.
From September 2026, children in households receiving Universal Credit will be eligible for free school meals if they attend a maintained early years setting for full-day sessions.
However, in Bremner & Co’s report, Too young to count? Why most disadvantaged under-fives miss out on free meals, research estimates that the upcoming expansion will benefit fewer than 4% of the projected 1.1 million under–fives living in households receiving Universal Credit that attend formal early years settings.
The report estimates that the expansion will increase the number of children in early years settings eligible for free school meals in England by 15,000 – from 24,000 currently to 39,000. Despite this, the approximately 290,000 disadvantaged under-fives in PVI – rather than maintained – settings will continue to be ineligible. By contrast, in schools, almost a third of pupils will be eligible for free school meals once the policy change comes into effect, impacting a further 620,000 school-aged children.
In addition, the report notes that, while in schools, registering a pupil for free school meals secures funding for that provision as well as unlocking pupil premium funding, this is not the case in the early years. It argues that this means there is “no incentive” for settings to register children for free meals as it is not specifically linked to early years pupil premium funding and the additional costs fall on settings.
The report goes on to make the following policy recommendations to government:
- Extend free early years meals eligibility to all children in households on Universal Credit, regardless of setting type.
- Remove the requirement that children attend both before and after lunch to qualify for a free meal.
- Implement automatic registration for free meals so that all children who are entitled can access a free meal.
- Ensure food provision is a core focus of the DfE’s 2026 early years funding review, with sufficient investment to meet nutritional standards across all settings.
Rosie Osborne, senior research and projects officer at Bremner & Co and co-author of the report, said: “While the expansion of free school meals is a vital and hugely welcome step forward, our research highlights a significant gap in support for children in the early years. Too few disadvantaged young children can access a funded, nutritious meal in childcare. Where they are eligible, early years settings are expected to cover the cost of these meals themselves, as unlike schools, they receive no dedicated funding. Urgent action is needed to ensure all young children can access essential nutrition, and that early years providers are properly funded to deliver it.”
