Eligibility for benefits-related free school meals (FSM)
Families who receive the following are eligible for free school meals:
- 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
- Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year after tax and not including any benefits you get (this is the equivalent to your work-related take home pay being less than £616.67 per month at the time of application). The Department for Education have announced that from the start of the 2026 school year, every child whose household is on Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals, regardless of any other earned income.
Providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
FSM eligibility has been permanently extended to children in households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF). If you are a family with NRPF, please fill out the application form below and email it to freemeals@warwickshire.gov.uk.
Application form for free school meals from families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
Young people who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.
If you receive a qualifying benefit, free school meals are available for:
- Pupils at any academy school, or schools maintained by the authority.
- Students aged between 16 and 18 on 31 August in the following academic year. Students who turn 19 during their study programme will remain eligible for a free meal until the end of the academic year in which they turn 19, or to the end of their study programme, whichever is sooner. Students at colleges or academy sixth forms must apply directly to the college or school. We can only process applications for young people in Year 12 or above at Exhall Grange Specialist School, because it is maintained by the council.
- Students aged over 19 who are continuing the same study programme (19+ continuers) they started before they turned 19, or who have a current education health and care (EHC) plan are eligible for a free meal where they meet the criteria.
- Children aged two and above attending maintained, academy or free school nurseries if they are attending both before and after lunch, at least once a week, and are registered as pupils with the setting. Free school meals are not available to children attending private nurseries.
Please note that the online checking system only confirms or denies your eligibility to claim free school meals and does not give us access to any other information.
If your application is successful, you will receive an email to confirm your child’s eligibility for free school meals. Their school will also be notified.
If your application is unsuccessful, we will email you to ask for more information and proof of your benefit entitlement for us to check manually. We would also encourage you to re-apply whenever your income changes.