Apply for free school meals

https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

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 4 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

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2023.

School meals - healthy eating standards

Food served in some schools and academies in England must meet the school food standards so that children have healthy, balanced diets.

The school food standards apply to all maintained schools, and academies that were founded before 2010 and after June 2014. They must provide:

• high-quality meat, poultry or oily fish
• fruit and vegetables
• bread, other cereals and potatoes

There can’t be:

• drinks with added sugar, crisps, chocolate or sweets in school meals and vending machines
• more than 2 portions of deep-fried, battered or breaded food a week