Free school meals

Eligibility (years 3 and above)

In England, free school meals are funded by the UK government for children who attend a state school, free school or academy.

All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 receive free school meals. Some local authorities also provide universal free school meals for all primary school children.

Where meals are not provided universally, eligibility depends on a family’s benefits, asylum support, or income (including for families with no recourse to public funds).

Free school meals are not classed as a public fund for immigration purposes. This means that families who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF) may still be able to access free school meals if they meet the relevant eligibility requirements.

Families receiving benefits or asylum support

A child will be entitled to free school meals if their family receives Home Office asylum support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (section 95 or section 98 support).

A child will also qualify if a parent (or the child) receives one of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (with an annual income of no more than £16,190 and no entitlement to Working Tax Credit)
• Universal Credit (from September 2026) 

Children in families with no recourse to public funds

A child may be entitled to free school meals if their parent or parents:

• have no recourse to public funds and
• meet an income requirement

This applies to families who:

• have leave to remain with an NRPF condition
• are without lawful immigration status
• are receiving section 4 asylum support 

Income requirement for families living outside London:

• £22,700 for families with 1 child
• £26,300 for families with 2 or more children

Income requirement for families living within London:

• £31,200 for families with 1 child
• £34,800 for families with 2 or more children

The family must also have less than £16,000 in savings or investments.

More information and how to apply

To apply for free school meals, families should:

• Check information on their local authority's website if they are receiving a qualifying benefit
• Contact their child’s school if they have no recourse to public funds

Councils and schools will need to refer to the government guidance: providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) for information about how schools can assess and process an application under the NRPF criteria.

Councils can also refer to the government guidance for councils on free school meals.

Page updated: 18 June 2026