How to access free school meals
In England…
Infant free school meals
Universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) provides funding for all government-funded schools to offer free school meals to infant pupils.
Your child will be able to get free school meals if they’re in:
- Reception class
- Year 1
- Year 2
Tell your local authority if you also get any of the qualifying benefits. Your child’s school can get extra funding if you do.
Eligibility from Year 3
From Year 3, your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
- 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 guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re 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 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)
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.
Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:
- younger than the compulsory age for starting school
- in full-time education
In Wales…
Free school meals are available to eligible pupils who attend school full-time.
This includes:
- Younger children who attend nursery for full days
- Sixth-form school pupils
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re 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 four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- To 31 March 2019, Universal Credit 1
- From 1 April 2019, Universal Credit — provided your household has an annualised net earned income of no more than £7,400 (as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
If your children receive Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance in their own right, they could also be able to receive free school meals.
For children/young people to be eligible to receive free school meals:
- You, as a parent, or your child, must receive the relevant benefit or support payment
- You should have submitted an application for free school meals to the local authority (or an application should have been submitted on your behalf)
- The application should have been approved by the local authority, or documents should have been seen by the local authority which strongly indicate your child is eligible
In Northern Ireland…
You don’t have to pay for your child’s school lunch if you:
- Receive Universal Credit and your net earnings aren’t over £14,000 a year
- Receive Income Support
- Receive income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Receive income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Get support under the Immigration and Asylum Act
- Get Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit with an annual taxable income of £16,190 or less
- Get Working Tax Credit “run-on” – the payment someone may receive for four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Receive the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Have a child that has a statement of special educational needs and is designated to need a special diet, or they board at a special school
Children who receive Universal Credit with net earnings not exceeding £14,000 a year, Income Support, income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance in their own right qualify as well. All pupils who do not qualify for free school lunches must be charged the same amount, for the same quantity, of the same item.
Free milk
Free school milk is given to all pupils at special schools, to those in other schools where it is necessary for their health and where a pupil does not have access to school meals. Pre-school pupils are also eligible for free milk. Subsidised milk is available to nursery, primary and post-primary pupils.
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Applying for a place at a state primary school is straightforward and can be done quickly and easily online. -
When it comes to choosing a primary school there are lots of things to think about and depending on where you live, it may feel like you have quite a few schools to choose from or very few options.
