1. Hide this website
  2. Need Urgent Help?
Open site navigation menu

Apply for free school meals

A group of young children smiling for the camera

Are your children eligible for free school meals?

Check if your child can get free school meals in England through the GOV.UK - Apply for free school meals website.

If you want to find out about the recent changes to eligibility for some children who have No Recourse to Public Funds, our friends at Project 17 have created a great resource you can view at Project 17 - Advice for people with NRPF.

Lancashire County Council - Free School Meals

Visit Lancashire County Councils website - Free School meals for more information and how to register your child for free school meals. 

Nursery (pre-school)

If your child is at a maintained nursery school or class you can apply to claim free school meals if they attend for a full day and you get one of the qualifying benefits.

Infants 

Your child will be able to get free school meals if they're in reception class, year 1 or year 2. Ask the school for more information.

If you get any of the qualifying benefits your child's school can get extra funding, called pupil premium, if you register with us. 

Year 3 and above and secondary

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the qualifying benefits. Check whether you are eligible in section 2 and register in section 3 to apply.

Menus

You can get information about the meals available from your child's school. If Lancashire County Council provides the meals, you can view information at Lancashire County Council - Free School Meals.

Free milk

If you get benefits, your child could also get free milk. Contact your school to find out what arrangements they make for school milk.

Eligibility

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:

  • Universal Credit with a household income of less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
  • Income-Based Jobseekers' Allowance
  • Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Child Tax Credit, not entitled to Working Tax Credit and household income less than £16,190
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
  • Income Support
  • Working Tax Credit 'run on' - the payment you receive for a further four weeks after you finish work

If your child is currently eligible for free school meals, that eligibility will be protected until Universal Credit is introduced (expected March 2022) even if your circumstances change. If your child is still in education on this date, they will be eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they are in.

If you have a younger child starting school in September and you are no longer eligible, they will not be protected because this would be a new claim.