Free school meals

Free lunches for all infants and for older children whose family gets certain benefits.

Nursery children Children in reception, year 1 and year 2 Children in year 3 or older Children of foreign nationalsTo find out if you're eligible and get an application form, contact your school directly or visit GOV.UK.

Nursery children

Nursery school children aren't entitled to free school meals. Discuss lunch arrangements direct with your nursery.

School milk in nursery – children do get a free choice of whole milk or semi-skimmed, funded by the NHS.

Healthy Start scheme – find out if you're eligible for food and milk vouchers, and free vitamins for under 4s.

Children in reception, year 1 and year 2

All children can get a free lunch at school if they're in reception class, year 1 or year 2.

If you register, your school could get extra funding (called 'Pupil Premium') to pay for additional staff time, extra computers, books and trips for students.

Have your National Insurance number or Home Office number ready when you apply.

School milk in reception, year 1 and year 2 – schools provide free milk for all children, up until their 5th birthday. If it's during the term, they won't get free milk from that term onwards.

After that, most children who have registered for free school meals can continue to get free milk, except for children who get Universal Income free school meals. Contact your school for more information.

Children in year 3 or older

Your child can get a free school meal if you receive any of the following:

Income Support
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (as long as you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and you don't get more than £16,190 a year)
Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Universal Credit (with annual earned income of no more than £7,400 after tax and not including any benefits you get).

Apply today if you receive any of these benefits. It takes 5 mins and in most cases we can tell you straightaway if your child can get free meals at school.

Children in year 3 or older might be entitled to extra help.

Check your eligibility, then apply (Year 3 and older)

Have your National Insurance number or Home Office number ready when you apply.

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until March 2025, or until they finish their current phase of schooling (primary or secondary), if that's after the end of March 2025.

School milk in year 3 or above

Children entitled to free school meals can also get free milk. Contact your school for more information.

Extra help

We don't provide school uniform grants. Speak to your child's school to see if they can help.

Children in year 3 or older might be entitled to other benefits such as help towards music lesson costs and half price bus travel.

You're entitled to this extra help if you're eligible for free school meals or if you get:

Child Tax Credit, payable at a higher rate than the family element (more than £547.50)
Working Tax Credit
Housing Benefit
Council Tax Support (not including second adult rebate)
Universal Credit with annual earned income of no more than £7,400 (for 100% music help) or £15,000 (for 50% music help) after tax and not including any benefits you get.