Children are currently eligible for free school meals based on whether their parents receive certain benefits such as jobseeker's allowance or through child and working tax credits.
But with both being replaced by universal credit the government is looking to change the eligibility criteria for free school meals so that it applies to households with an income of less than £7,400 before benefits.
This eligibility criteria will be mirrored for the Early Years Pupil Premium, which gives additional funding to early years settings to boost the attainment of pupils from low-income families
Launching an eight-week public consultation on the plans, children's minister Robert Goodwill said the proposed changes mean an additional 50,000 pupils could be eligible for free school meals.
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