Free School Meals Eligibility (reviewed 2023-2024)

All children in Reception, Year One and Year Two are entitled to Universal Free School Meals.

For children in Year Three onwards, free school meals are still available to some children based on specific criteria for eligibility.

Your child may be able to receive additional free school meals support if parent(s)/guardian(s) are currently in receipt of any of the following support payments:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA – IB)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA – IR)
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• 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).
• If you do not qualify for most benefits (also known as having ‘no recourse to public funds’), your child may still be eligible for free school meals in certain circumstances.

Please make sure that you complete the Free School Meals Eligibility form as part of the School Admission Pack for your child, even if you feel that you may not currently be eligible for free school meals. 

Once the form is completed, the school is able to check and confirm your current eligibility status and will also be notified if your circumstances change at any point in the future.

The school may also receive some additional funding to help to support your child which would not be available without the eligibility checking process being undertaken.