Free school meals
Is my child eligible for free school meals?
- Nursery aged children eligible for free school meals must be receiving education before and after lunch to be entitled to free school meals.
- All children in key stage 1 are entitled to a free meal, however, if you are in receipt of any of the below benefits, please do apply for free school meals, as this will generate additional funding for your child's school
Children in junior and senior school – year 3 to year 11
Your child could be eligible for free school meals if you or your partner receive a qualifying benefit.
- income support
- income-based job seeker's allowance
- income-related employment and support allowance
- the guarantee element of state pension credit
- support under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- child tax credit (but not working tax credit) and have an annual income of less than £16,190
- working tax credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for working tax credit
- Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
If you do not receive the above benefits please contact your school to apply.
Apply for free school meals
After you apply
Once you have applied we will assess your application.
- If entitled we will let you and the school know and the entitlement will start straight away.
- On some occasions, we may need to contact you for further information to assess your application.
How long will my child get free school meals?
If entitled your child will get free school meals until March 2025, regardless of any changes to you or your partner's income.
After March 2025, existing children who no longer meet the eligibility criteria at that point will continue to receive free school meals until the end of their current phase of education, i.e. primary or secondary.