Free school meals and milk
Ideas for healthy and affordable meals
Looking for ideas for healthy and affordable lunchtime meals? They can all be made using what's provided in our food packages:
Apply for free school meals
We want to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their free school meals. We use the Department for Education's free school meals eligibility checking system to determine eligibility.
To apply, you will need to register and provide:
- your National Insurance Number or National Asylum Support Service Reference Number
- your last name
- your date of birth
If your entitlement to free school meals cannot be assessed through the eligibility checking system, we will let you know. If you think you are eligible to the benefits listed below you can provide us with more details for a manual assessment.
You can apply for free school meals online or by contacting us on 0300 500 80 80. Alternatively you can complete an application form.
More information about free school meals:
You can apply online and will need:
- your personal details (including national insurance number and date of birth of the parent/carer)
- child’s details in full, including their date of birth and the school they attend.
If you are eligible for free school meals the start date will normally be within two working days of parents contacting us and entitlement being confirmed. Children attending maintained nurseries also qualify for a free school meal as long as they are receiving funded early years education before and after lunch.
Children transferring between schools that use Nottinghamshire County Council's eligibility assessment service do not need to reapply. For children attending a school that does not use this service you should contact the school directly for information about how to apply for free school meals.
If you are unable to apply online please call 0300 500 80 80 or complete an application form [PDF].
Section 512 of the Education 1996 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and free schools to provide free school meals to all pupils of all ages that meet the criteria. There is no duty to provide free school meals if a child attends an independent setting.
Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the qualifying benefits below:
- Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earning from up to three of your most recent assessment periods).
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual gross income of no more than £16,190
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after the person stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Free school meals for children in all households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) has been permanently extended subject to maximum income thresholds. More information is available here for children of those who have no recourse to public funds. Families in these groups cannot apply online and should telephone 0300 500 80 80 to apply.
Information you need to register:
- your personal details (including national insurance number and date of birth of the parent/carer)
- child’s details in full, including their date of birth and the school they attend.
If you are eligible for free school meals the start date will normally be within two working days of parents contacting us and entitlement being confirmed. Children attending maintained nurseries also qualify for a free school meal as long as they are receiving funded early years education before and after lunch.
Children transferring between schools that use Nottinghamshire County Council's eligibility assessment service do not need to reapply. For children attending a school that does not use this service you should contact the school directly for information about how to apply for free school meals.
If you are unable to apply online please call 0300 500 80 80 or complete an application form [PDF].
Universal infant school meals (UIFSM) provides funding for all government funded schools to offer free school meals to pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2. The UIFSM is different funding from that of benefits-related free school meals. However, it is important that parents who receive one of the qualifying benefits listed above register for benefits related free school meals as this enables the child’s school to claim pupil premium.
The pupil premium is additional funding given to publicly funded schools in England to raise attainment.
Currently the pupil premium allocations are:
- £1,345 for each eligible primary-aged pupil
- £955 for each eligible secondary-aged pupil.
Under section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities can arrange for ‘any special educational provision’ for children and young people otherwise than in school in circumstances where it would be inappropriate for the provision to be made in school. These EOTAS packages are put in place by local authorities, typically as part of a child’s education, health and care plan.
There is no specific provision in legislation for free school meals to be provided to children in EOTAS however following new guidance issued in March 2024 Nottinghamshire County Council will make equivalent food provision for children who are receiving EOTAS under section 61 who meet both of the following criteria:
- The child would meet the benefits-related criteria for free school meals if they were in a state-funded school and
- The meals would be provided in conjunction with education and would, in line with the aim of free school meal provision, be for the purpose of enabling the child to benefit fully from the education being provided.
Free milk
Free milk is available for:
- children under the age of five in school or daycare
- children receiving free school meals. The eligibility criteria for free milk entitlement is exactly the same as for free school meals. Where local authorities or schools provide milk, it must be free to children whose parents get the same support payments as for free school meals.
Milk is subsidised for all other pupils in primary education and in special schools.