Your child may be able to get free school meals if you receive any of the following benefits. Information taken from gov.uk.

• 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 applied 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 receive)

Children who receive these benefits directly, rather than through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

Your child may also be eligible if you receive any of the above benefits and your child is both:

• younger than the compulsory age for starting school, and
• in full-time education

If you do not qualify for most benefits (also known as having ‘no recourse to public funds’), your child may still be eligible. Ask their school or local authority whether they qualify, or see guidance for families with no recourse to public funds for more information.

Transitional protections apply from 1 April 2018, until the end of the 2025/26 school year.

Pupils becoming eligible for free school meals under the benefits-based criteria in this time will continue to receive free meals until the end of the 2025/26 school year.

This applies regardless of any change in household circumstances, including an increase in earnings above the eligibility threshold.

From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, it is the Department for Education’s intention that all protections will be discontinued, alongside an extension to the eligibility criteria for free school meals. From this point, households must meet the eligibility criteria to be entitled to free school meals.

This is most likely because your child’s school is not in England. This service covers all open schools in England, so if your school does not appear it is probably located in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

• Scotland - mygov.scot
• Wales - gov.wales
• Northern Ireland - nidirect.gov.uk

If a parent feels the result is inaccurate, they may provide equivalent paper-based evidence to their school or local authority, which must then complete a manual check.

Paper-based evidence

Parents may need to submit paper-based evidence in support of their free school meals claim, particularly for:

• Families claiming under income-based benefits
• Families unable to submit information through the online Universal Credit system

For families potentially eligible under Universal Credit, applicants should provide:

• A copy of their Universal Credit award statement from the most recent assessment period(s), going back a maximum of three assessment periods.
• The three relevant assessment periods are the three complete periods immediately preceding the date the parent requests free school meals.

For families eligible under Child Tax Credit or a legacy benefit, applicants should provide:

• A letter from Jobcentre Plus confirming eligibility or an Income Support payment book
• A final Tax Credit Award Notice (TC602) from HM Revenue & Customs

For families eligible under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 or the guarantee element of the Pension Credit, applicants should provide:

• A letter from the Home Office stating they are receiving support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• A ‘Pension Credit M1000 Award Notice’ showing details of any Guarantee Pension Credit in payment

If your child’s school is using the LGfL FSM Checker, they will be able to see that you are eligible and should process the information accordingly. If they have not contacted you within a couple of days, reach out to the school to ensure the relevant action has been taken.

When you submit your application, it will indicate on screen and in the email you receive whether your school is set up to use the LGfL checker or not.

The rules around eligibility for free school meals work the same for carers and foster parents as they do for birth parents.

If a child is in care, the information entered should be that of the carer.

Currently, many children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 are entitled to receive free meals as a result of government initiatives.

However, it is important for all parents to check their eligibility because when parents are shown to be eligible, schools can potentially claim extra government funds to improve the school’s resources and provide a better service to children.

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