Your child, or children, may be eligible to claim Free School Meals if you are on a low income and receive a qualifying benefit.

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 can receive universal infant free school meals, and this is not linked to your income.

If you receive one of the qualifying benefits, your child’s school can receive Pupil Premium funding. Even if you don’t want your child (or children) to receive the meals or they receive universal free school meals and you receive one of the qualifying benefits, it is still important to make an application to Free School Meals. This will allow your child’s school to receive extra funding, which could then be used to support them.

The council’s Let's Dine team work in partnership with our schools to provide a healthy and nutritionally-balanced meal in an enjoyable lunchtime experience. More information can be found on our Let’s Dine web page.

We also administer the Free School Meals application process for a number of schools outside of our borough.

Image of a roast dinner

Last updated : 7 August 2024

Your child, or children, may qualify for Free School Meals if you meet the following criteria:

  • you or your partner (if you have one) have a child for whom you receive Child Benefit and who is attending a school or college in Telford and Wrekin,

and you get any of the following:

  • Universal Credit and your household income is less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get),
  • Income Support,
  • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance,
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance,
  • 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),
  • Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit),
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Each school receives a weekly list showing the names of all children who are entitled to Free School Meals.

If your child is eligible for Free School Meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2025. This is linked to the expected roll-out date of Universal Credit.

Last updated : 11 June 2024

To apply for Free School Meals or the Pupil Premium, please complete our online web form:

Complete our online form to apply for Free School Meals

If your application is successful, we will notify you so that you know your child (or children) have entitlement to Free School Meals. We will also notify their school (or schools).

If you have a child who is aged three of four years and in funded childcare, the childcare setting may be able to claim extra funding to support your child. More details can be found by visiting our Early Years Pupil Premium pages.

Last updated : 1 October 2024