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GrantScotland

Free School Meals (Scotland)

Local authorities / Scottish Government

Details being confirmed

Some figures on this page (such as the amount, deadline, or rate) are provisional and due a fresh verification pass against the official source. Please confirm the current details using the official link below before relying on this information.

Description

Scotland runs a more universal model than the rest of the UK: every pupil in Primary 1 to Primary 5 at a council-run or Scottish-Government-funded school gets a free school lunch every day regardless of household income, with no application needed. From Primary 6 onward (including secondary school), a free lunch is means-tested, available to households receiving Scottish Child Payment, Universal Credit (monthly earned income no more than £995), Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, or support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Pupils at council-run or Scottish-Government-funded special schools get a free lunch regardless of age or income.

Amount

A free lunch every school day: universal (no income test) for P1–P5 and special schools; means-tested for P6/P7, secondary, and the S1–S3 pilot areas.

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

  • Available in: Scotland.
  • Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
  • Relevant age groups: under 18.
Notes
Since June 2025 the Scottish Government has additionally funded means-tested free lunches for S1–S3 pupils (roughly ages 11–14) in Scottish-Child-Payment households, but only across eight pilot council areas so far — this is not yet a nationwide secondary-school entitlement, and no confirmed timeline for full national rollout was found in this pass, so flagged for review. Eligible 2–4 year-olds in funded early learning and childcare get a free meal on their funded days (a separate strand, not covered by this entry). Independent schools and home-educated children are excluded from all of the above. Verified directly against mygov.scot in this pass (October 2026).
Requirement
Automatic for all P1–P5 pupils and all special-school pupils, regardless of income. From P6 onward, household must receive Scottish Child Payment, Universal Credit (monthly earned income ≤ £995), Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA, income-based ESA, or support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

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How to apply

No application needed for P1–P5 or special-school pupils — it's automatic. For P6/P7, secondary, or the S1–S3 pilot, apply through your local council (most run an online free school meals application) with details of the qualifying benefit.

View official source

Last verified: 3 October 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.