Free school meals

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• 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 apply 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 get)

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

Apply

Visit your schools website to apply for Free School Meals. If no content is provided on their site, you will need to download and fill in the application form below, and then send it to your school.

For carers and schools, visit the Wokingham Schools Hub site for documentation.

Important update concerning Free School Meals

Legacy benefits provided by the Government is being withdrawn and replaced by Universal Credit.

To help with this transition, pupils who become eligible for free school meals will remain irrespective of change in carer or financial circumstances (the exception are ineligible pupils who go into LA care).

Due to change in government policy on free school meals, the protection has been extended until the end of the 2025/26 academic year.

The DfE will publish further guidance in due course.