Supporting RAF Families access new benefit entitlements

Are you a parent with two or more children? You may be aware that the government removed the two-child limit for both Child Benefit and Universal Credit (UC) in April 2026.

This means if you have three or more children, you can now receive Child Benefit for every child. If you are eligible for Universal Credit, you can now receive a child element for each of your children.

It may be worth checking your entitlement again. If you previously had a benefits check and were told you were not eligible for Universal Credit, this may now have changed. This applies whether you are working or not working, a single parent or part of a couple. You may now qualify for a payment when you did not before.

From September 2026, all households receiving Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals for every child.

Currently, eligibility is limited to households earning under £7,400 per year (after tax and excluding benefits).
This change could result in significant savings on school meals and packed lunches. Schools will begin checking eligibility between now and 1 October 2026.

We recently supported a single parent with three children, earning over £3,000 net per month, to successfully claim Universal Credit, something they had not previously considered.

From September, all three children will also qualify for free school meals, resulting in a substantial saving for the household.

You can get in touch with the Fund to speak to our Benefits Team. Call us on 0300 102 1919 to speak to our Welfare Navigators, who will put you in touch with someone who can explain what you may be eligible for.