Free school meals during self-isolation and free school meals temporary extension groups
Children self-isolating
Children who are currently eligible for benefit related free school meals and are self-isolating at home due to COVID-19 should receive support from their school. Schools will determine what form of support they will offer for free school meals. For support details, please get in touch with your child(ren)’s school(s).
Please note, children who normally receive a free school meal under the universal infant scheme, i.e. those children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, will not be provided with support during the isolation period unless they are also currently eligible on benefit related grounds.
New applications for benefit-related free school meals
Applications for free school meals can be made in school or online via our website. Please read the information on the following pages fully before you submit an application.
If you do submit an eligibility application please ensure you include all of your children who are of statutory school age (i.e. in Reception classes and above).
The application will be processed as soon as possible and the result communicated to both you and your child(ren)’s school(s). If you are eligible, the school(s) will be in touch.
Temporary extension of free school meals eligibility to those with no recourse to public funds
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has temporarily extended free school meal eligibility to the below groups who have no recourse to public funds. More information can be found on the government's Coronavirus website . If you wish to submit an application for an assessment of free school meals eligibility under one of these categories, please contact the school(s) your children currently attend.
- Children of Zambrano carers.
- Children of families with no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
- Children of families receiving support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 who are also subject to a no recourse to public funds restriction.
- Children of a subset of failed asylum seekers supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.