Free school meals

Getting started

We will only process applications for schools that subscribe to the Free School Meals service.

All schools in Somerset, except King Arthur’s School, Wincanton, and The Mendip School, Prestleigh, Shepton Mallet, are subscribed. If your child attends either of their schools, please contact the school directly to apply for free school meals.

We strongly recommend that you read the rest of this page before you apply.

Eligibility

Children eligible for free school meals must be in school all day. They will be provided with a meal at lunchtime which is paid for by the school.

It is the responsibility of parents or carers to register their entitlement and request free school meals for their children.

Children in pre-school or nursery (known as childcare providers) do not qualify for a free meal until they start school. But applications will be processed so that when your child starts school, you will already be notified whether they qualify for a free school meal or not.

Parents and carers who receive any of the following are entitled to free school meals.

• Income Support (IS)
• Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related)
• Universal Credit with an annual household income of less than £7400 after tax
• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance (IBJSA)
• Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Child Tax Credit provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit, with an annual taxable income (as assessed by HMRC) of less than £16,190

Only the benefits listed above qualify for free school meals. If you have recently become unemployed, but are still receiving Working Tax Credits, you may be entitled to free school meals. Please phone us on 0300 123 2224 for advice.

If you meet the criteria listed above, please complete the application form below by clicking on the Apply now button.

Apply for free school meals

Or you can print out a copy of the application form for free meals at school, fill it in and take the completed form to your child’s school, or send it to – Entitlements Team, County Hall, Taunton, TA1 4DY.

Application form for free meals at school

PDF, 141 KB

You do not need to send evidence with this application. If we need evidence later, we will ask you for it.

Non-Benefit related additional eligibility criteria

Children of families who don’t receive these benefits may also qualify for free school meals if the family’s annual household income is no higher than the following:

• £22,700 for families outside of London with one child
• £26,300 for families outside of London with two or more children.

In addition to these thresholds, families must hold no more than £16,000 in capital and savings.

And the parent or carer meets any of the following criteria:

• you are a Zambrano or Chen carer
• families who have no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights
• families receiving support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 who are also subject to a no recourse to public funds restriction
• a subset of failed asylum seekers supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• you hold a British National (Overseas) – BN(O) – passport
• you are a spousal visa, work visa or student visa holder
• you have no immigration status.

If this applies to you, please complete this application form and return it with the appropriate evidence to fsm@somerset.gov.uk

What happens next

We will check your eligibility and let you know the outcome of your application, usually within 10 working days. If you are eligible, we will tell you how to start receiving free school meals.

If your child is entitled to a free school meal but requires a special medical diet, this can be arranged, but please speak to your school about it.

It is very important that you contact us if your contact details or circumstances change.

In June 2025, the government regulations changed, so any child awarded free school meals will have their eligibility protected until the end of the school year 2025/26. It is the government’s intention to amend the eligibility criteria from 1 September 2026, and every child must meet this new criteria from this point. Therefore, anyone already awarded free school meals will automatically be rechecked to see if they still qualify.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Universal Infant Free School Meals

Every child in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 is entitled to a Universal Infant Free School Meal. Each school is responsible for providing this, and they may ask you to fill in an application form to show that you require a meal for your child or children. Please contact your school to discuss arranging a meal.