Apply for free school meals

Your child is automatically entitled to free school meals if they are in a government-funded school and are in:

• reception class
• year 1
• year 2

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you're not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit and your household income is less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Changes to free school meal entitlement

From 1 April 2018, the government introduced new regulations for people claiming free school meals who receive Universal Credit. The changes means you are not eligible for free school meals if you receive Universal Credit and your net annual earnings are more than £7,400.

If your child was eligible before 1 April 2018 and already receiving free school meals but is not eligible now because of the change, they will continue to receive free school meals until the end of the current phase of their education.  

How to apply

Apply through your child's school

If your child attends one of the following schools, you need to contact them directly to apply for free school meals.

Primary schools that arrange their own free school meals

• Barley Fields Primary School
• Bowesfield Primary 
• Christ the Kind RC Primary
• Durham Lane Primary School
• Egglescliffe CE Primary
• Fairfield Primary
• The Glebe Primary
• Hardwick Green Primary
• Harewood Primary
• Harrow Gate Primary Academy
• High Clarence Primary 
• Holy Trinity Rosehill CE Primary
• Ingleby Mill Primary
• Junction Farm Primary 
• Mandale Mill Primary
• Pentland Primary Academy
• Preston Primary
• Roseberry Primary
• St John the Baptist CE Primary
• St Mary's CE Primary
• St Patrick's RC Primary
• St Thérѐse of Lisieux RC Primary
• The Links Primary 
• The Village Primary School
• Whinstone Primary
• Whitehouse Primary 
• Wolviston Primary School
• Yarm Primary Academy

Secondary schools that arrange their own free school meals

• Conyers School and Sixth Form College
• Egglescliffe School and Sixth Form College
• St Patrick's Catholic College​

Apply online

If your child attends any other school in the Borough, you can apply online through the Citizen Portal.

Apply for free school meals

After you apply

After you apply online, you will receive a notification instantly to let you know if your child if eligible.

If your child is eligible, they can receive free school meals from the day after we receive your application.