SI 2026/551 - The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 1) (England) Regulations 2026

Status: This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format. STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS 2026 No. 551 (C. 44) EDUCATION, ENGLAND The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 1) (England) Regulations 2026 Made - - - - 20th May 2026 The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 78(5) and (6) of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026(1). Citation 1. These Regulations may be cited as the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 1) (England) Regulations 2026. Provision coming into force on 1st June 2026 2. Section 33 (free school meals etc: information sharing) of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 comes into force on 1st June 2026. For and on behalf of the Secretary of State Georgia Gould Minister of State 20th May 2026 Department for Education (1) 2026 c. 21.Document Generated: 2026-05-26 Status: This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format. EXPLANATORY NOTE (This note is not part of the Regulations) These Regulations are the first commencement regulations bringing into force provision in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (c. 21) (“the Act”). Regulation 2 brings into force, on 1st June 2026, section 33 of the Act (free school meals etc: information sharing). Section 33 of the Act amends section 110 of the Education Act 2005 (c. 18) (“the 2005 Act”), which makes provision for social security and tax credit information held by other government departments to be supplied to the Department for Education and the Welsh Ministers, and ultimately to local authorities in England and Wales, for use in determining eligibility of claimants for free school lunches and milk. The amendments made by section 33 of the Act to section 110 of the 2005 Act apply in relation to England only. They enable social security (including asylum support) and tax credit information to be shared with the appropriate authority of certain schools (as well as local authorities) for the purpose of determining eligibility for free school lunches and milk. They also enable the information to be shared for the purpose of determining whether financial assistance is payable to a local authority or relevant school in England in connection with child welfare or the provision of education. They also enable a person with whom the information is shared to communicate decisions made about eligibility for free school lunches and milk, and about whether financial assistance is payable, with parents, local authorities and relevant schools in England. 2