Free School Meals, Universal Infant Free School Meals and Pupil Premium
Check if you can apply
Children can get free school meals, if their parents or guardians get:
- Universal Credit income below £7,400.00.
- As well as Free School Meals, these pupils will still bring pupil premium and other disadvantage funding to their school now known as Targeted Qualifying Criteria.
- Universal Credit income above £7,400.00.
- These pupils will be entitled to Free School Meals only known as Expanded Qualifying Criteria.
- Income Support
- Job Seeker's Allowance (income based)
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit
- Support payments under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
What is Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium is allocated to schools for children of statutory school age from low income families who are eligible for Targeted Free School Meals (FSM): to children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months and to children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces
if you receive one of the benefits from the list above you may also get help with:
- the cost of residential school trips (speak to your school about this)
- travel costs to school
- school uniform costs (speak to your school about this)
- music lessons at school (please contact your child’s school for information)
For each child registered for free school meals, schools receive a pupil premium of £1,300 (Primary schools) or £935 (Secondary schools) per year. This money is to help your child achieve their best at school.
Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive free school meals regardless of eligibility for free school meal funding, under the Universal Infant Free School Meal Scheme (UIFSM).
