Free school meals

How to apply for free school meals in term-time.

Is my child eligible for free school meals?

Children in Reception, year 1 and year 2

All children in Reception, year 1 and year 2 get free school meals regardless of your income. Your school will write to you about this.

If you or your partner do receive one of the qualifying benefits listed below, please complete the online application form on this page so that your child’s school gets the extra funding known as the Pupil Premium.

Nursery-aged children

If your child is aged 3 or 4, attends a maintained nursery school all day and you receive a qualifying benefit, they could be eligible.

Children in junior and senior school – years 3 to 13

Your child could be eligible for free school meals if you or your partner receive a qualifying benefit.

Children in further education, who do not attend school sixth form

We only administer free school meals to children in further education at schools. If your child is aged 16 to 19 and eligible for free school meals but attends college or another educational establishment, you must request free school meals directly from the education setting they attend. Do not complete the form below.

What are the qualifying benefits?

If you or your partner receive any of the following benefits you can apply.

• Universal Credit - your household earned annual income must be less than £7,400 after tax and not including any benefits
• Income Support
• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income related Employment Support Allowance
• Support under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed part of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit – with no Working Tax Credit and your annual household income is no more than £16,190, as assessed by the Inland Revenue

Before you apply

You must apply online for each child and will need to provide:

• Your National Insurance number, or
• Your National Asylum Support Service (NASS) number

We will use this to confirm your eligibility with the Department for Work and Pensions.

How to apply

Apply online via the Citizen Portal - you will already have an account if you have applied for a Reception or Year 7 place in the past.

If you don't have an account, you can register for one. Not sure how to register? See our step-by-step guide to register for a Citizen Portal account.

Apply online - sign in or register for an account

Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data

What happens next?

We will check your eligibility with the Department of Work and Pensions and inform your child’s school if you are eligible for free school meals.

How long will my child get free school meals?

Children who become eligible during the roll-out of Universal Credit (1st April 2018 to 31st March 2025) will remain eligible until 31st March 2025, regardless of any changes to you or your partner's income.

This applies whether you receive Universal Credit or legacy benefits.

After 31st March 2025, children who are no longer eligible will continue to receive free school meals until the end of their current phase of education, i.e. primary or secondary.

For example:

• If your child is in year 4 in March 2025, they will receive free school meals until they finish primary school. They will not be eligible in secondary school if you and your partner’s income is more than £7,400 per year.
• If your child is in year 9 in 2025, they will receive free school meals until they finish secondary school even if your income is more than £7,400 per year.

What is a pupil premium?

If your child is eligible for free school meals, the school will get extra funding for your child’s education when you apply – £1,320 per child in primary school and £935 per child in secondary school.

This funding is called Pupil Premium. The money can be used to help with the cost of school trips, extra teaching staff and activities.