Free school meals

You can claim free school meals for a child who lives with you and who you are responsible for.

Your child is eligible for Free School Meals if you get one or more of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
• Income Support
• Income based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income related Employment Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

From 1 September 2026, the qualifying criteria for free school meals is changing.

From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, free school meals eligibility is being expanded to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit regardless of household earnings. 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

There will be two qualifying groups for free school meals

• Targeted free school meals - Households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less. This entitles schools to claim a student premium, the pupil is eligible for the holiday activities and food programme (HAF), and the extended rights element of school travel assistance.
• Expanded free school meals - Pupils who do not qualify for targeted free school meals, but are in households receiving Universal Credit. These qualify for free meals only.

If you are awarded free school meals this will continue to the end of the academic year even if you have a change in your circumstances that means you should not qualify for free meals. All free school meal awards will be reviewed yearly between June and October.

Free school meals protection

Free school meals protection which has been in place since April 2018 will be ending on the 31 August 2026. Everyone who is already receiving free school meals will have a review of their claim to see if they are still entitled so there is no need to reapply. This review will be based on the new qualifying criteria that takes effect from 1 September 2026. Parents and schools will be notified.

Infant free school meals

If your child attends a state funded infant school and is in Key Stage 1 (reception, year 1 or year 2), they are entitled to ‘universal infant free school meals’ regardless of your income. Please contact your child’s school to tell them you would like to have ‘universal infant free school meals’.

Parents of infants who receive the qualifying benefits

You can apply for free school meals if you think you might be entitled, because your school gets up to £1,320 additional funding (Pupil Premium) to support your child’s education and can help to buy new equipment and resources. This money is only paid if you apply for free school meals and are confirmed to be entitled.

For all claims that are successful, the school will be notified.

Please note we do not process claims for the following schools. If your child attends one of these schools, you need to contact the school directly. We also do not process claims for children attending college.

• Coleridge Primary School, Coleridge Road Eastwood
• Eastwood Village Primary School, , Eldon Road, Eastwood
• East Dene Primary School, Doncaster Road, East Dene
• Redscope Primary School, Kimberworth Park Road
• Anston Greenlands Junior and Infants, Edinburgh Drive, North Anston
• Thorpe Hesley Primary School, Upper Wortley Road, Thorpe Hesley

Change in circumstances

If you change your address or move schools, please contact us at benefits@rotherham.gov.uk or call 01709 336066. We will need to know the date of the change and details of your new address and/or school.