Free school meals
Eligibility
Infant school meals
Your child will be able to get free school meals if they’re in reception class, year 1 or year 2. Ask the school for more information.
If you receive qualifying benefits or targeted free school meals, your child may be entitled to other programmes of support.
Year 3 and above and secondary
Expanded free school meals
Families receiving Universal Credit with earnings above £7,400.
Targeted free school meals
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
Universal Credit with yearly household earnings of £7,400 or less.
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
the guarantee element of Pension Credit
Children in this group may also be eligible for other programmes of support.
You can only apply to claim free school meals if your child attends a maintained nursery school or class. To be eligible your child must attend for a full day and must you get one of the qualifying benefits.
Children who attend a private nursery are not entitled to free school meals.
Maintained nursery schools or classes are nurseries or nursery classes in schools maintained by Lancashire County Council.
If you are not sure whether your child's nursery school or class is maintained or private, search our childcare directory. If it is maintained it will either say 'Maintained Nursery Class' or 'Maintained Nursery School' under the nursery name.
You can also ask your childcare provider if they are maintained or private.
Some young people over 16 can also get free school meals if they claim a benefit in their own right.
Qualifying benefits include:
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Employment and Support Allowance
If you go to a sixth form college or FE college, contact the college direct to claim your free meals.
If you already get free meals and your child is on work experience, you can claim for any lunches you have provided. Ask the school for details.
Children in households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) are also eligible for free school meals. This is subject to a maximum income threshold and capital and savings limit for the family.
You can find more information in the free school meals guidance for schools and local authorities on GOV.UK.
Schools manage these applications. To apply, complete the application form and return it to the school:
Other programmes of support
If your child is eligible for targeted free school meals, they may also be entitled to:
free transport to school (if they also meet the age and distance criteria)
Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) - fun activities during the school holidays
Pupil Premium funding for the school - extra funding to raise the achievement of some pupils
Apply
Apply online
What happens next
We will confirm whether you are eligible by email.
If you are eligible, we will let the school know that your child can have free school meals.
Apply by post
Download the application form:
Free school meals form (PDF 939 KB)
If you apply by post we will notify you by email, or post if you do not provide an email address.
Contact us
New applications
If you have recently applied and have not received a confirmation email, please allow 5 working days before contacting us. Remember to also check your spam or junk email folder.
We are currently managing an increase in applications since the government extended the eligibility criteria. We will try to respond to all applications before the start of the autumn term 2026.
Free school meals email addresses by area:
Lancaster, Morecambe, Wyre and Fylde (North) - pupilaccessteam.north@lancashire.gov.uk
Preston, South Ribble, Chorley and West Lancashire (South) fsm.south@lancashire.gov.uk
Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale (East) fsm.east@lancashire.gov.uk