Free school meals: who qualifies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Free school meals are run separately in each UK nation, so the rules depend on where your child goes to school. England, Scotland and Wales give some year groups a free lunch whatever the household income, and the rest are means-tested. Northern Ireland has no universal free lunch and is means-tested for every pupil. Find your nation below.

England

Free School Meals (England)

Who it's for: Children whose family gets Universal Credit (any income, from September 2026) or some other benefits. Reception to Year 2 pupils qualify automatically.
What you get: A free lunch every school day. The Department for Education says this can save up to £495 a year per child.
How to claim: Apply through your local council. Families still need to apply. Reception to Year 2 pupils need no application.

Full eligibility rules and how to apply

Scotland

Free School Meals (Scotland)

Who it's for: Every pupil in Primary 1 to 5 and in special schools. From Primary 6, your household must get a qualifying benefit.
What you get: A free lunch every school day.
How to claim: No application for Primary 1 to 5 or special schools. For Primary 6 onwards, apply to your local council with details of your benefit.

Full eligibility rules and how to apply

Wales

Free School Meals (Wales)

Who it's for: All primary school pupils. Secondary pupils only if the household gets a qualifying benefit, such as Universal Credit with net earnings of £7,400 a year or less.
What you get: A free lunch every school day. From September 2026, Years 7 and 8 in Universal Credit households have no earnings limit.
How to claim: No application for primary pupils. For secondary, apply through your local council. Start dates for Years 7 and 8 vary by council.

Full eligibility rules and how to apply

Northern Ireland

Free School Meals (Northern Ireland)

Who it's for: Pupils in households on Universal Credit with net earnings of £15,900 a year or less (2026/27), or on certain other benefits. There is no free lunch for all pupils.
What you get: A free lunch every school day for pupils in qualifying households.
How to claim: Apply through the Education Authority (eani.org.uk) with details of your household's qualifying benefit.

Full eligibility rules and how to apply

Also worth checking

Summarised from the full listings linked above, last checked 25 October 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice, and rules change, so confirm on the official page before you apply.