If you do not qualify for free school meals, you can still pay for excellent value school meals that ensure your child gets a nutritious and tasty meal. Find out more about what we offer on our school meals page.
Free school meals eligibility has changed from September 2026
The Department for Education has extended the entitlement to free school meals to include all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit, regardless of household income. Although eligibility will be granted to all Universal Credit recipients, it is important to note that families do still need to apply to receive the meals. However, if your child is already registered for free school meals you do not have to apply. The transitional protection that was in place while Universal Credit was rolled out has now ended.
You could save around £500 on school meals for your child. School meals can also save you time and provide peace of mind that your child is enjoying a healthy, fresh, and nutritious meal at lunchtime.
A pupil is only eligible to receive free school meals where both:
- the parent or carer has applied for free school meals
- their eligibility has been checked and confirmed by the school where they are enrolled or by the local authority
Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Households may also be entitled to a meal if they:
- are in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- receive the guarantee element of Pension Credit
- meet criteria set out in separate guidance for families with no recourse to public funds
Following the eligibility changes, there are now two types of free school meals criteria:
- targeted free school meals
- expanded free school meals
Targeted free school meals
Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less (the existing threshold for free school meals prior to the expansion), will be eligible for targeted free school meals.
In addition to receiving free meals, pupils eligible for targeted free school meals will attract pupil premium and other disadvantage funding for their schools, as well as other education entitlements, such as the holiday activities and food programme (HAF/ FEAST).
Expanded free school meals
Children from households in receipt of Universal Credit, with annual household earnings exceeding £7,400, will be entitled to expanded free school meals (meals only).
Universal infant free school meals
Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will continue to be entitled to free meals, regardless of the earnings or benefit status of their households. However if you also qualify for any of the financial support for targeted free school meals, we encourage you to complete our online form as this could enable your child's school to claim the Pupil Premium Funding to further support them.
How to apply for free school meals
Check if you need to apply to North Yorkshire Council or direct to your child’s school.
Below is a list of schools who administer their own applications.
If your child attends one of these schools, you should apply for free school meals through the school. Often details, including an application form, can be found on their website:
- All Saints Catholic Primary School - Thirsk
- Braeburn Primary and Nursery Academy
- Brotherton & Byram Community Primary Academy
- Camblesforth Community Primary Academy
- Coppice Valley CP School
- East Whitby Primary Academy
- Filey CE Nursery and Infants Academy
- Filey Academy
- Friarage Community Academy
- Harrogate Grammar School
- Lady Lumley's School
- Luttons Community Primary Academy
- Malton School
- Newby and Scalby Primary School
- Oatlands Junior School
- Overdale CP School
- Roseberry Academy
- Rossett Acre Primary School
- Rossett School
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (Northallerton)
- Scalby Academy
- Scarborough UTC
- Saltergate Infant School
- Saltergate Community Junior School
- Sherburn CE Primary Academy
- South Craven School
- St. Benedict’s Catholic Primary School, Ampleforth
- St. Hedda’s Catholic Primary School, Whitby
- St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Pickering
- Stakesby Primary Academy
- Staynor Hall Community Primary Academy
- Stokesley Primary Academy
- Tadcaster Primary Academy
- Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy
- Western Primary School
If your school is not listed above, you can apply for free school meals using the following link:
You will receive an instant decision on whether your application is successful. If it is, we will fully process the application in five working days and notify the school. Once the school has received this, your child can begin enjoying free school meals. You should continue to pay until confirmation comes through. Schools may be able to arrange reimbursement of payments made while your entitlement is being confirmed.
Free school meals claims cannot be backdated. They are awarded from the date we receive the application, once eligibility is confirmed. This is because there is a legal requirement for a request to be made, before a free school meal can be provided. If you are not entitled to free school meals, you will be notified in writing.
FEAST – holiday activities with food programme
A range of holiday activity schemes will be available for children and young people during the Christmas, Easter and summer school holidays. For more information, visit our FEAST: holiday activities with food programme page.
Auto enrolment
Once a year we will check to find households who appear to qualify for free school meals but have not made an application. We will contact the families we have identified directly by letter to explain how we can help automatically enrol them onto free schools meals if they wish to receive them.
Frequently asked questions
I don’t qualify for free meals and want to pay
If my child is at nursery or sixth form, are they still entitled to free school meals?
Nursery children are entitled to free meals if they meet all the following criteria:
- their parents receive one of the qualifying benefits for free school meals
- the child receives education before and after the lunch time period
- the child is in a maintained nursery provision
- the parents, or another responsible adult, have made a claim for a free meal
These criteria apply whether a child is attending funded or bought hours.
Post-16 students can receive free school meals.
If your child attends the sixth form in a North Yorkshire school, we will normally administer claims.
If your child attends a further education college you should apply for free school meals by contacting the college directly.
I am a foster carer. Does my child automatically qualify for a free school meal?
Children who are looked-after are not automatically entitled to benefits-related free school meals. Free school meal eligibility is determined by the statutory criteria, which are based on the household's receipt of qualifying benefits.
My child currently attends a primary school in North Yorkshire and they are due to transfer to secondary school this September. Do I need to reapply for their free school meals?
If your child is moving from a North Yorkshire primary school to a North Yorkshire secondary school that is not listed under how to apply, then you do not need to reapply. The free school meals will automatically transfer to their new school before they start. If your child is transferring to a school in the list, you should contact the school directly to ask if they need you to reapply.
If your child is moving to a secondary school which is within the boundaries of another local authority, please contact that local authority directly to find out about any reapplication process that might be necessary.
My child is moving to secondary school and currently receives free school meals at their primary school. How do the free school meals work at the new school?
The school is responsible for crediting your child's dinner account every day with the free school meals allowance. Unfortunately, we can't advise you how much this will be because it is different from school to school. However, you should be free to top up the allowance if you wish.
Please contact the school directly to find out how much the daily allowance will be.