Free school meals

You must be eligible to claim free school meals

To claim a free school meal you should ask your child’s school or nursery for an application form.

Return the completed form to the school/nursery, along with evidence to support your application.

Find your child's school's details in our online directory.

Are you eligible?

You may be eligible to claim free school meals for your child, up to the age of 19 years, if you (or your child) get one of the following:

  • Income support
  • Income-based Jobseeker Allowance
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
  • Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
  • The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
  • Universal Credit

We are working hard to automatically enrol eligible pupils for free school meals, without the need to sign up. In the meantime, please follow the above process if you believe your child is eligible.

Page last updated: 4 December 2024

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