Free school meals UK : who is eligible for vouchers? How to apply to the scheme explained

Children have returned to school with the kick-off of the 2023/24 academic year.

For millions of families across the UK, free school meals are a lifeline while the cost of living continues to batter households. The scheme guarantees that vulnerable children are fed at least one hot and nutritious five days a week.

There have been calls to extend the scheme, as seen in London. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is among those calling for free school meals to be made available to all primary-aged children.

But under the current rules, who is eligible for the scheme and how do you apply?

Here's everything you need to know.

What is the free school meals scheme?

Some pupils at schools across the UK are entitled to free school meals.

The 'Healthy Start' scheme is in place in in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to support parents from pregnancy, while a similar scheme called 'Best Start' is in place in Scotland.

Who is eligible for free school meals in the UK?

All pupils in England in reception class, year one or year two are automatically eligible for free school meals. Extra funding may be made available via your local authority if you are also in receipt of any qualifying benefits.

All primary-aged pupils in London are automatically entitled to free school meals after a push by Mayor Sadiq Khan. From the 2023/24 academic year, a £130m scheme will be in operation, covering 270,000 children who would not have been eligible under the general eligibility rules.

Across the UK, those entitled to free school meals are those pupils from households who are in receipt of certain benefits. These include:

• Income support
• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
• The guaranteed element of pension credit
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Working tax credit run-on – paid for four weeks after stopping work
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 
• Child tax credit (without receiving any working tax credit and a household income of under £16,190 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and under £17,005 in Scotland
• Universal Credit

The Universal Credit qualifier will be capped at a yearly household income of £7,400 in England and Wales if you applied for UC from April 2018 onwards. Those who applied before this do not have to meet a threshold.

Households in receipt of the benefit in Scotland have a threshold of monthly earned income being no higher than £660. The threshold in Northern Ireland for UC is even higher at £14,000 per year.

For pupils aged 16 to 18 who may receive these benefits directly are also eligible for free school meals.

How do you apply for free school meals?

If you think that you match one of the criteria above, you can arrange free school meals by getting in touch with your local authority to arrange being signed up to the scheme. To make life easier, a postcode checker is available on gov.uk to direct you to the correct place to apply.