Free School Meals and Pupil Premium Checker
The LGfL Free School Meals Eligibility Checker has identified £232 Million since 2014 in funding for schools
Why schools use the LGfL FSM Checker
For over a decade, LGfL has helped schools, multi-academy trusts and local authorities unlock vital funding through free school meals checking. Since 2014, the checker has identified hundreds of millions in potential funding for schools, and in 2026 it won an Education Resources Award.
The LGfL FSM Checker is free for every school in England and is used by over 4,000 schools. It’s up to date with the September 2026 changes to FSM eligibility, so you can see straight away which pupils attract Pupil Premium.
Targeted and Expanded FSM: every eligible result shows whether the pupil attracts Pupil Premium (Targeted FSM) or receives free meals only (Expanded FSM).
Bulk upload: run checks for many families in one go, with no need to enter applications one by one.
No USO link or MIS data sharing: use the checker without sharing pupil or parent/carer data from your MIS.
Open to every school in England: you don’t need an LGfL connection to sign up.
Full control over applications: admins can edit, archive and delete applications as needed.
How it works
The LGfL FSM Checker is completely free for any school in England. Eligible children receive free school meals, and schools receive Pupil Premium for pupils who qualify for Targeted FSM. That funding pays for extra staff, resources and support for disadvantaged pupils.
Families, or school staff on their behalf, enter a few basic details online. The checker securely checks with the Department for Education (DfE) and gives an instant result, including whether an eligible pupil falls under Targeted or Expanded FSM. There are no paper forms, and families only need to apply once.
Your school can recheck eligibility and manage applications at any time in a secure portal. It could help your school too, completely free.
