School travel guidance updated to make clear entitlement as free school meals rules change

2 mins read

Tuesday 9 June 2026

This advice applies in England only.

The government has updated its home-to-school transport guidance for compulsory school-aged children.

The update reflects a change in free school meals eligibility. This in turn determines eligibility for school transport for children from low-income households.

The guidance continues to recognise eligibility for children who cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school because of special educational needs or disability (SEND), or mobility problems. It also continues to require councils to consider whether it is reasonable to expect a parent to accompany the child and whether the child’s individual needs make transport necessary.

School transport for low-income families

Some school-aged children qualify for free transport because their nearest suitable school is too far to walk to.

The distance that counts as too far is lower for over eights from low-income households than for over eights from other households. Secondary school-aged children from low-income households can get free school transport to one of the nearest three suitable schools.

The definition of a low-income household is the same as that used for free school meals. Children currently get free school meals if their parents get Universal Credit and have earnings below a certain threshold.

What is changing?

From September 2026, all children from households getting Universal Credit will qualify for free school meals, regardless of parental earnings.

However, this won’t mean that all these children get free school transport.

Instead, children from low-income households will continue to get free school transport only if their parents get Universal Credit and earn below the threshold. (This is called the “targeted group” for free school meals purposes, as opposed to the “expanded group” of all Universal Credit claimants).

Again, eligibility for children with SEND has not changed.

Read the update government guidance.

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