Free School Meals – Information for Parents
Your child may be entitled to free school meals if you receive certain benefits.
Who is eligible?
Free school meals are available to pupils whose parents or guardians receive one or more of the following:
Universal Credit – if your annual net earned income is no more than £7,400 (as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guarantee element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit – if you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and your annual gross income is no more than £16,190
Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Protection for existing claimants
Since 1 April 2018, all pupils already receiving free school meals have continued to do so while Universal Credit is rolled out.
This protection applies even if household circumstances change or earnings rise above the threshold.
These protections will remain in place until the end of the 2025/26 school year.
Future changes
From the start of the 2026/27 school year, the Department for Education will:
Extend free school meal entitlement to all children from households receiving Universal Credit.
End transitional protections, meaning eligibility will be based solely on the new criteria.
Provide updated guidance to schools and parents ahead of September 2026.
How to apply
A pupil is eligible to receive a free school meal only when a claim has been made on their behalf and eligibility has been verified by:
The school where they are enrolled, or
The local authority.
If you think your child may be eligible, please complete the form on the right of this page or contact the school office for advice on how to apply or to check your current status.