Free school meals are available for children in England who attend a state school, free school or academy.
All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 can access free school meals. Free school meals are also available for children in years 3 to 6 who attend state-funded primary schools in London, due to additional funding from the Mayor of London.
When free school meals are not universally provided, families will usually need to meet income-based criteria in order to qualify.
Children can receive free school meals in years 3 and above when a parent is:
Qualifying families will meet either the ‘targeted’ or ‘expanded’ criteria.
Families qualifying under the targeted criteria will be able to access the Holiday Activities and Food programme and ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance. Schools will also receive the pupil premium and other disadvantage funding.
Families qualifying under the ‘expanded’ criteria will only receive free school meals.
A child will qualify for free school meals if a parent (or the child) receives one or more of the following benefits:
Families claiming Universal Credit with annual household earnings that are more than £7,400 will qualify for free school meals under the ‘expanded’ criteria.
A child will be entitled to free school meals if their family receives Home Office asylum support under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (section 95 asylum support or section 98 emergency support).
Families receiving section 95 or section 98 asylum support meet the ‘targeted’ criteria and can therefore also access the Holiday Activities and Food programme and ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance.
Free school meals are not classed as a ‘public fund’ for immigration purposes and can be accessed by families with no recourse to public funds when income and savings thresholds are met.
Families can apply under the ‘no recourse to public funds’ criteria when they:
A family with no recourse to public funds will qualify for free school meals when their annual net household income is less than the ‘expanded’ income threshold.
If the family’s income is less than the ‘targeted’ income threshold, the family will also be able to access the Holiday Activities and Food programme and ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance. In such cases, the school will be able to apply for the pupil premium.
Families living outside of London:
Families living in London:
Families living outside of London:
Families living in London:
A family with no recourse to public funds must have less than £16,000 in savings or investments if they meet either the targeted or expanded income threshold.
Families receiving benefits or section 95 or 98 Home Office asylum support will usually need to apply through their local authority’s website.
When a family qualifies under the no recourse to public funds criteria, they must apply to the child’s school. The school may require the parent to complete a self-declaration form and provide some supporting evidence to confirm their immigration status and income. The government has provided an example application form and guidance for schools.
Councils can also refer to the government free school meals guidance for councils.
Page updated: 19 October 2026
