Free meals for primary school aged children

Your child will be able to receive free school meals if they are in reception class, year 1 or year 2 regardless of benefits or household earnings.

For the 2025 to 2026 school year, children in year 3, year 4, year 5 and year 6 will also be able to receive free school meals regardless of benefits or household earnings.

Funding for this is provided by the Mayor of London and it covers schools in London boroughs only.

All primary age children will receive free school dinners, however, it is still worth notifying us if you meet the criteria below as your child's school will receive additional funding.

Also, if it is known that your child is eligible, they will continue to receive free school meals after the 2025 to 2026 school year even if by then your personal circumstances have changed.

Pupils in years 3 to 6 who receive free school meals are still able to apply for Pupil Premium.

Are you eligible for free school meal support while in reception, year 1 and 2 and beyond?

If you or your child are receiving any of the following benefits you may be eligible for free school meals after year 6 but also for extra support whilst in reception and in years 1 to 6.

• Universal Credit (Opens in new tab) (your household income must be less than £7,400 a year after tax and not including any benefits you receive)
• Income support (Opens in new tab)
• Income based Jobseekers Allowance (Opens in new tab)
• Income related Employment Support Allowance (Opens in new tab)
• Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit (Opens in new tab)
• Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income of less than £16,190 (Opens in new tab)
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (Opens in new tab)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit (Opens in new tab)

If it is confirmed that your child is entitled to free school meals, they will remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they are in on 31 March 2025.

There will be no need to inform your school or the council if your personal circumstances change.