Free School Meals
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If your child goes to a local-authority maintained school or academy school, you may be able to claim for free school meals.
There are two types of free school meals:
- Government (benefit related) Free School Meals
- Universal Infant Free School Meals
Who qualifies for government free school meals?
Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of 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 (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
Who qualifies for Universal Infant Free School Meals?
All children in key stage 1 (reception class, year 1 and year 2) are automatically entitled to have a free school meal. You don't have to apply for universal infant free school meals.
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