Universal Infant Free School Meals
Universal Infant Free School Meals provide free, healthy meals to all children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 in state-funded primary schools in England, regardless of family income. The meals meet government nutrition standards and aim to support children's health, well-being, and learning.
The 10 main benefits of your child having a free school meal:
They receive a hot nutritious two-course meal, packed with hidden veggies.
We can produce bespoke menus for children with food allergies.
It saves the time it takes in the morning to prepare a packed lunch.
Your child will have the choice of a wide range of tastes and flavours.
It saves families money on the weekly food shop.
New seasonal menu items will be added to the menu throughout the year.
It encourages children to make friends and learn social skills.
Children will helped by school staff to pick something they like for lunch.
It allows children to become more independent by cutting their food up and queuing for their lunch.
Research suggests that eating a balanced meal at school can help improve children’s concentration levels.
How do I apply for Universal Free School Meals?
It is available for you automatically.
In England, children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 are automatically eligible for Universal Infant Free Meals (UIFSM) if they attend both the morning and afternoon school periods.
Free School Meals
Free School Meals (FSM) are different to Universal Infant Free School Meals, these have an eligibility criteria. We encourage parents/guardians to check to see if they’re entitled to Free School Meals as this helps schools receive extra funding through the Pupil Premium, which supports your child.
These are the eligibility criteria:
Pension Credit –
Recipient of the guarantee (main) element.
Is from an identified family group with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)
The child is from an identified family group with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and their annual household income is:
Less than £22,700 for families outside London with one child, or
Less than £26,300 for families outside London with two or more children.
Universal Credit -
Must have annual net income of £7,400 or less (after tax and not including other benefits), assessed by statements up to the three most recent assessments periods.
Child Tax Credit –
Applicants from before Universal Credit rollout; provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less.
Asylum Support -
As per Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Working Tax Credit run-on –
Paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying (applicants from before Universal Credit rollout).
Is covered by Transition Protection following the Universal Credit rollout from 1 April 2018
This only applies to those pupils who might have otherwise lost free school meals eligibility following the rollout of Universal Credit, as from 1 April 2018. Transitional Protections would cover pupils until the end of their current school phase and may require providing the school with official Universal Credit statements to support your eligibility claim.
Does your Child have a food allergy?
We can create bespoke special diet menus tailored to your child’s medical needs.
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