Free school meals – eligibility and how to apply

School lunches are usually just another cost on the long (and often expanding) list of things to fork out for. Across a year, lunches can cost more than £500. However it is important to check if you could be eligible for free school meals, as every year thousands of families miss out.  

Many primary school children automatically get free school meals. Here’s who gets them: 

• England (excluding London): All state school children from reception to year two will get free meals as part of ‘universal infant free school meals’.

• London: all primary school children up to the age of 11 at state-funded schools will automatically qualify for free school meals, but you should check with your child’s school if you still need to register your child. 

• Scotland: all children from primary one to five in state-funded schools are eligible for free lunches. Find more information on provision of free lunches in Scotland on mygov.scotOpens in a new window
  

• Wales: all primary school-age children are entitled to free school meals. Find out how to apply for free school meals on gov.walesOpens in a new window
  

• Northern Ireland: There is no automatic provision of free school meals in Northern Ireland. 

Currently if you get Universal Credit, your child is only eligible if the amount you earn is under a certain amount, see below. 

From September 2026 more children in England will be entitled to free school meals. For the 2026 academic year onwards, if you claim Universal Credit and your child is in approved education, your child will be entitled to free school meals regardless of your income. This will apply if they are in primary, secondary or approved further education. Currently there have been no similar announcements for the other nations.

• In England: If your child is in years 3-6 of primary school outside of London and you claim Universal Credit, your child can qualify for free school meals if your income is no more than £7,400/year (after tax and not including your benefits) in total for your household. If you claim other means-tested benefits your child might be eligible. Check full free school meals eligibility criteria on GOV.UKOpens in a new window on GOV.UK

• In Northern Ireland: In Northern Ireland: If your child is in primary school and you claim Universal Credit AND you household earnings are £15,390 or under per year, your child is entitled to free school meals. You can find out more about eligibility for free school meals on nidirectOpens in a new window
  

  Opens in a new windo and you can find out more at nidirect. 

• England: If you claim Universal Credit your child can qualify for free school meals if your income is no more than £7,400/year (after tax and not including your benefits) in total for your household. If you claim other means-tested benefits your child might be eligible. Learn more about Universal Credit on GOV.UKOpens in a new window
• Scotland: If you claim Universal Credit your child qualifies for free school meals if your total earned household income is no more than £796/month (after tax and not including your benefits). Find out more about eligibility for free school meals on mygov.scotOpens in a new window
• Wales: If you claim Universal Credit your child can qualify for free school meals if your total household income is no more than £7,400/year (after tax and not including your benefits). Apply for free school meals on gov.walesOpens in a new window
• Northern Ireland: If you claim Universal Credit and live AND you have household earnings of £15,390 or under per year, your child is entitled to free school meals. Find out more about how to apply for free school meals on nidirectOpens in a new window

Unless you live in an area where your child automatically qualifies for free school meals, you need to register to claim free lunches for your child. You need to do this even if you claim Universal Credit.  

The process for applying for free school meals varies from council to council. In some cases, you apply through your local authority and in others you might need to apply directly to the school – but your council website will tell you this.

If you’re not sure of your local council, you can find them on GOV.UKOpens in a new window

You may need to re-apply for free school meals for your child every year. Check with your local authority. 

The rules around eligibility for free school meals work the same for carers and foster parents as they do for birth parents, so you can use the guidance and links provided above to check eligibility.

However, if you’re a foster parent who is paid an allowance, things are a little more complicated.

This is because the allowance is supposed to already include covering the cost of school meals. If this is your situation the best thing to do is speak to your local authority as you might want to come to some arrangement – e.g. that your foster child receives their free school meal, but that the part of the allowance for free school meals is not paid to you – or alternatively that you are paid the full allowance, but that your foster child does not receive free school meals.

Again, this will vary from council to council and children getting free school meals might not always get the same meals as those who pay in full.

If your child’s school has a cafeteria system, your child will usually get vouchers, but systems vary from school to school. The good news is that England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all have mandatory standards for the food provided by schools, so your child’s school meal should be reasonably healthy – although you can find out more information from the school itself.

In some parts of the UK your child might also get free milk, in addition to their free school meal.

School lunches will usually cost between £2 and £3.

It’s usually possible to pack a healthy lunchbox much more cheaply than paying for school dinners - especially if you buy ingredients that can go in the freezer. Change4life have some healthy lunchbox ideasOpens in a new window if you’re not sure where to start.

If you’re struggling with the cost of bringing up a child, don’t forget we can help you to make sure you’re getting all the right benefits. You can also find more information on things like uniform grants, school travel costs and other related advice and guidance on turn2USOpens in a new window

If your child is eligible for free school meals during term time, they are likely to qualify for extra help during the school holidays. How this works and what you get depends on where you live in the UK, but it can include free meals, free activities and even free cash to help with your childcare costs. 

• England: if you're eligible for benefits-related free school meals you can take part in the Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) that takes place over the Summer, Easter, and Christmas holidays. What you can get varies by council, but at a minimum it includes one free meal a day. Check with your local council to see what they offerOpens in a new window

• Wales: councils supply vouchers, grants or packed lunchesOpens in a new window to those eligible for free school meals over the summer holidays but the support varies by area.  

• Scotland: Councils offer access to free meals to all those eligibleOpens in a new window for free school meals during term time.

• Some food banks also run holiday clubs to help parents with food over the school holidays. See Where can I get emergency help with money and food?

• Check regularly for deals on treat meals, MoneySavingExpert has a good round up of cost effective meals outOpens in a new window

The government announced the rollout of a new free breakfast club scheme in England, where children will get a free breakfast before the school day starts. Right now, it is a pilot scheme with 750 ‘early adopter’ schools taking part. Check the interactive map of the schools offering free breakfast clubsOpens in a new window More schools will be added as the scheme expands. 

• Scotland is offering ‘Bright Start Breakfasts’ where schools and local authorities can get funding for free breakfast clubs. Ask your child’s school if it is part of this scheme.  

• Wales offers ‘Free Breakfast in Primary Schools’ where all children who go to a school maintained by a local authority can have a free breakfast at school if the school runs a breakfast club. Contact your school to find out how to apply.  

• Northern Ireland schools can get funding via the Extended Schools Programme to offer breakfast clubs and other services. You can contact your school to find out if it is available.