Apply for free school meals

Eligibility

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.

Free school meals automatic enrolment scheme

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council is carrying out an exercise to identify children and families who may be eligible for free school meals but have not applied or been registered. Successful enrolment means your child will benefit from a hot and healthy daily meal while at school, free of charge, during term-time.

It's estimated that taking a free school meal saves households around £400 per year. It also means eligible children are able to access additional benefits like our popular Holidays Are Fun (HAF) Programme  where they can enjoy activities over the school holidays.

It's also important to be registered if you are eligible, because it means your child's school will benefit from extra money from the Government called pupil premium funding. This money directly supports your child's education by giving their school more resources to ensure pupils achieve their potential. For primary schools, this is worth around £1,450 per year and £1,050 per year for secondary schools.

How do I know if this applies to me?

We are sending out letters to households we have identified may be missing out on free school meals, notifying them that we intend to check and apply on their behalf - unless they tell us not to.

If you have received a letter and wish to opt-out, please contact us on fsm@stockton.gov.uk or on 01642 526605 (8:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) - we'll make sure your application isn't processed.

Which data are you using?

The data matching process involves matching information from pupil records with Housing Benefit and Council Tax records to work out if your child could be receiving a free school meal. Where there is a match, we'll let the school know and automatically sign your child up to the scheme. You can find out more about how we process your data on our Privacy Notices webpage.

My child already gets free school meals. Does this apply to me?

Every child in Key Stage 1 (nursery to the end of Year 2) automatically receives free school meals under the 'universal infant free school meals' scheme. This does not mean your child is registered for income-related free school meals. So, when your child moves up to Key Stage 2, you will need to pay for their school meals, unless they are successfully enrolled for income-related free school meals.

It is important to know that, although your child may be currently receiving a school meal through universal offer during Key Stage 1, their school could be missing out on vital pupil premium funding. Therefore, we need to make sure that all those who are eligible are enrolled from the earliest possible stage to ensure everyone is receiving what they are entitled to.

My child prefers packed lunches - does this matter?

That's fine. Your child does not have to take the hot meal if they do not want to. However, it is important they are enrolled for income-related free school meals regardless so they can receive the benefits they are entitled to, and their school receives the pupil premium funding.

What happens next?

If you've received a letter and you're happy for us to check your child's eligibility, we'll submit an application for free school meals for them.

Whether it's successful or not, we'll write to you again with the outcome.

If successful, your child is eligible to start enjoying their free school meal straight away, and their school will receive pupil premium funding from 1 April 2025. Your child will be eligible for the next Holidays are Fun (HAF) programme.

Key dates

• week commencing 25 November 2024 - schools will be contacted and letters sent to possibly eligible households
• 5pm, Friday 20 December 2024 - deadline to opt-out of the scheme
• week commencing 13 January 2025 - school census opens and parents contacted with application outcome